YOUR O.A.T. ADVENTURE TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE®

Chile & Argentina: The Andes to Patagonia 2022

Small Groups: 8-16 travelers—guaranteed! (average of 13)

Overseas Adventure Travel ® The Leader in Personalized Small Group Adventures on the Road Less Traveled 1 Dear Traveler,

At last, the world is opening up again for curious travel lovers like you and me. And the O.A.T. Chile & Argentina: The Andes to Patagonia itinerary you’ve expressed interest in will be a wonderful way to resume the discoveries that bring us so much joy. You might soon be enjoying standout moments like these:

When I stepped into Rilan, a rural village nestled on Chile’s Chiloé Island, I felt an overwhelming sense of community—a small group bonded by their unique cultural identity as fiercely independent, seafaring people. You’ll see what I mean when you experience A Day in the Life here, including a visit to the home of a local artisan, where you’ll delve into local customs and see their craft firsthand in their workshop. You’ll also journey to the home of a local family to learn how to prep a traditional curanto, a stew consisting of typical local fare—shellfish, meat, potatoes, and vegetables—cooked in a hole in the ground lined with rocks.

Patagonia is a region with a distinct cultural identity, including rugged gauchos (cowboys) living off the land in the foothills of the Andes. I was saddened to learn of the mistreatment that the Mapuche people--indigenous, agricultural people native to southern Chile and Argentina. In Bariloche, you’ll hear from a member of the Mapuche about their perspective on the persecution of the Mapuche people and their current relationship with the government.

The way we see it, you’ve come a long way to experience the true culture—not some fairytale version of it. So we keep our groups small, with only 8-16 travelers (average 13) to ensure that your encounters with local people are as intimate and authentic as possible. It’s also why your O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader will be a resident “insider” who can show you the culture as only a local can.

To ensure that your adventure is truly unique, put your own personal stamp on it. You can arrive early and stay later, add a pre- or post-trip extension, spend time in a Stopover city, or combine two or more trips. Plus, your itinerary offers ample free time so you can pursue your own interests.

So until the day comes when you are off to enjoy your Chile & Argentina: The Andes to Patagonia adventure, I hope you will relish the fun and anticipation that this O.A.T. Adventure Travel Planning Guide® will inspire. Should you have further questions, feel free to call our Regional Adventure Counselors at 1-800-955-1925.

Love and peace,

Harriet R. Lewis Vice Chairman, Overseas Adventure Travel

P.S. For further peace of mind, please know that we are EXTENDING our Risk-Free Booking Policy through 12/31/21. Learn more at www.oattravel.com/risk-free-booking.

USA Today “Best Tours” 10Best Readers’ Presented by Choice Awards Solo Traveler

2 CONTENTS

A Letter from Harriet Lewis ...... 2 The O.A.T. Difference...... 4 The Freedom to Personalize Your Experience ...... 6 Grand Circle Foundation...... 8 The Leader in Solo Travel ...... 9

CHILE & ARGENTINA: ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS: THE ANDES TO PATAGONIA CULTURE, ETIQUETTE & MORE Your Adventure at a Glance: South American Culture ...... 81 Where You’re Going, What it Costs, Shopping: What to Buy, Customs, and What’s Included ...... 10 Shipping & More ...... 86 Your Detailed Day-To-Day Itinerary ...... 12 Agricultural Statement for Chile ...... 88 Optional Tours ...... 34 Pre-Trip Extensions ...... 35 DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY Post-Trip Extensions ...... 45 Argentina ...... 89 Dates & Prices ...... 55 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 89 Argentina: A Brief History ...... 90 ESSENTIAL TRAVEL INFORMATION Chile ...... 91 Travel Documents & Entry Requirements. . . 56 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 91 No Visas Required ...... 57 Chile: A Brief History ...... 92 Rigors, Vaccines & General Health ...... 58 Brazil...... 93 Vaccines Required ...... 59 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 93 Yellow Fever Vaccination: Brazil: A Brief History ...... 94 Recommended for Iguassu Falls ONLY ..... 59 Peru...... 95 Money Matters: Local Currency & Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 95 Tipping Guidelines...... 62 Peru: A Brief History ...... 96 Air, Optional Tours & Staying in Touch ..... 67 Optional Tours ...... 67 RESOURCES Communicating with Home from Abroad . . 68 Suggested Reading ...... 98 Packing: What to Bring & Luggage Limits . . . 70 Suggested Packing Lists ...... 72 Suggested Film & Video ...... 101 Electricity Abroad ...... 74 Climate & Average Temperatures ...... 77

O.A.T. Health & Safety Measures...... 105 Notes...... 106 Map ...... 111

3 EXPERIENCE THE O.A.T. DIFFERENCE in Chile & Argentina

This adventure not only showcases iconic sights, but takes you beyond them to experience the culture through unique activities, engagement with the natural world, and authentic encounters with local people. Since our founding in 1978, O.A.T. has become America’s leader in personalized small group journeys on the road less traveled.

SMALL GROUPS: 8-16 TRAVELERS LOCAL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION (AVERAGE OF 13)—GUARANTEED To see the world like the locals, you should The world feels more intimate and engaging travel like one. Our small group size allows when your experience of it is also personal us to take the roads and waterways that are and genuine. That’s why our groups never less traveled, and we often follow them using exceed 16 travelers. This gives you access to the same unique modes of transportation people and places larger groups simply can’t that the locals use—be it a canoe, a camel reach. More authentic interactions. Deeper or a vintage cab. bonds with your travel mates. Personal service from your Trip Experience Leader. Smoother UNIQUE LODGINGS transitions. And a far more satisfying Our lodgings reflect the local character, experience than any traditional tour offers. from smaller family-run hotels and historic manors to comfy inns. Occasionally, larger THE BEST TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADERS hotels closer to city centers are used. Wherever Your English-speaking, O.A.T. Trip Experience you stay, you’re assured fine comfort and Leader is a resident of the region you are visiting, hospitality. so you will get a true insider’s perspective that brings each place alive—the stories, food, OUR WORLDWIDE OFFICES customs, hidden treasures and more. With 36 regional offices around the world, we are perfectly poised to leverage our local AUTHENTIC CULTURAL CONNECTIONS relationships to deliver an excellent experience Engage with local people through visits to and value. During this trip, you’ll be supported farms, factories, markets, and artisans’ by our team in Chile and Argentina. studios; school visits; Home-Hosted meals; and more.

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4 THE PILLARS OF DISCOVERY En riching. Inspiring. Unforgettable. These features form the foundation of your Chile & Argentina adventure.

GRAND CIRCLE FOUNDATION (GCF) VISIT A DAY IN THE LIFE GCF was established in 1992 to help change Do you ever wonder, “What would it be like people’s lives in the world where we live, to live here?” when you visit new lands? Let’s work, and travel. To date, we have pledged or find out during your O.A.T. A Day in the Life, an donated $200 million worldwide. exclusive, immersive experience that places you in the heart of a community where you’ll meet By investing in the places we explore— various people where they live, work, and play; including local schools, cooperatives, or arts visit the neighborhood school; lend a hand with centers—we hope to give locals the skills and daily chores; and break bread with our hosts. confidence they need to become leaders of their generation and preserve their heritage This adventure includes A Day in the Life of for many years to come. We’re proud to play the Rilan community on Chiloé Island, a part in preserving precious locales like the where you’ll meet a local artisan who will Bryggen waterfront district of Bergen, a living delve into Rilan customs and then help a example of the glory days of the Hanseatic family prep a curanto—a stew cooked in the League, and supporting villages like Harmi in ground—before sharing this specialty during Estonia, whose once-struggling school is now a community lunch. a center of community life. HOME-HOSTED EXPERIENCES CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS Stories shared. Differences solved. Taste buds Every culture has its joys and achievements, engaged. Good will extended. It’s amazing the and we celebrate them all. But every place things that can happen across a kitchen table, also has its challenges, and to gloss over them so we’ll break into groups of 4-5 to join a local would not do justice to those whose stories family in their home for a snack or a meal. need to be told—nor to you, as a traveler who This is a rare opportunity to witness family deserves more than a sugar-coated version of life, learn local customs, and taste some things. So our Trip Experience Leaders will home-cooked fare. lead frank discussions on controversial issues, For example, on our adventure in Scotland, and introduce you to people whose stories will we’ll get a taste of Scottish hospitality and expand your understanding. sample traditional flavors when we join a For example, we’ll meet with a member of family for dinner in Glasgow; on our Baltic the Mapuche—an indigenous, agricultural adventure, we’ll observe life from a communal people native to southern Chile and Russian apartment in St. Petersburg as we Argentina—to hear about a darker side of share lunch with the residents; and, on our Patagonia. During our conversation, we’ll Adriatic adventure, share a meal with a learn about the Mapuche’s struggle for Bosnian family who has lived along Sarajevo’s survival and their current relationship “Sniper Alley,” since before the siege with the government. of the city.

5 You're in control with THE FREEDOM TO PERSONALIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE Exclusively with O.A.T. Your Choice. Your Adventure. Your Way.

It’s your adventure, so why not make it exactly what you want it to be? We offer an exclusive variety of options that let you tailor your adventure so it’s completely your own. In fact, O.A.T. is the only travel company to offer this level of flexibility and choice for a truly personalized experience.

PRE- OR POST-TRIP EXTENSIONS 2. Great value: All extensions include Every O.A.T. adventure offers at least one accommodations, daily breakfast, and optional pre-trip and one post-trip extension. airport transfers. Here’s why more than 55% of O.A.T. travelers 3. Continuity and camaraderie: You’ll usually choose to take a pre- or post-trip extension: travel with the same Trip Experience 1. You’ll maximize your discoveries—often Leader who leads your main trip, enjoying in an even smaller group than your main more of his or her insider expertise— adventure (on average, 6 travelers with a and more time to bond with the group. dedicated Trip Experience Leader)—and take advantage of your included airfare.

Optional Extensions offered with your South America adventure

Santiago & Easter Island's Sacred Sites NEW! Northwestern Argentina: Salta’s Andean 6 nights pre-trip from $2695 Traditions & the Canyons of Cafayate 5 nights pre-trip from $2595

Easter Island, Chile Salta, Argentina

Iguassu Falls: Thundering Cascades of NEW! Peruvian Discovery: Seaside Lima, the Argentina & Brazil Lost City of Machu Picchu & Colonial Cuzco 4 nights post-trip from $1495 6 nights post-trip from $1895

Iguassu Falls, Brazil Machu Picchu, Peru

6 ARRIVE EARLY, STAY LATER • Lima: $645 per person Extending your time abroad—with us or • Panama City: $695 per person on your own—is the best way to broaden • Sao Paulo: $745 per person your experience. It’s also a practical way to maximize the value of the international airfare • Bogotá: $795 per person covered in your main itinerary. Other O.A.T. Stopovers are available. If the city you’re interested in is not offered, our Regional Expand Your Discoveries Before Adventure Counselors can arrange your airfare. or After Your Adventure COMBINE ADVENTURES Arrive early in the first destination on your You’re already overseas. Why not see more and pre-trip extension or main adventure, or stay maximize your value by avoiding the cost and later in the last city on your main adventure or length of another international flight? Here’s post-trip extension. By coming early, you can why 2,250 O.A.T. travelers combined two or rest after your flight and adjust—with time to more adventures in 2019: explore. By staying later, you have extra time to relax, pack, or continue exploring. • Save a total of $600-$3000 per person when you combine two adventures compared to the This option lets you take advantage of our cost of taking each trip separately. lower group rates, with prices from $50 per person per night—including accommodations, • Apply the 5% or 6% Frequent Traveler Credit private airport transfer, and daily breakfast. you earn on your first trip to your second trip. • Sir Edmund Hillary Club members save an • Spend more time in Buenos Aires before extra $250-$350 per person when booking or after your main trip, or before your multiple trips in a calendar year. Northwestern Argentina pre-trip extension for $50 per person, per night • Our Regional Adventure Counselors make all the arrangements for a seamless experience. • Arrive early in Santiago on the Easter Island pre-trip extension for $75 per Combine this trip with our Real Affordable person, per night Peru adventure—for a total cost of $6290- $8590 per person—and save $1000-$1800 per • Remain in Iguassu Falls after your person versus taking each trip separately. Iguassu post-trip extension for $50 per person, per night AIR PREFERENCES • Spend more time in Cuzco after your Peru post- 54% of our travelers customize their air trip extension for $50 per person, per night itineraries:

Accommodations are at the same hotels where • Choose your departure city and airline you begin or end the main trip and optional • Depart from one city and return to another extensions, so transitions will be seamless. • Upgrade to Premium Economy or NEW! Stopover in any major international city Business Class Travelers with O.A.T. airfare have the PERSONALIZED PRIVATE ADVENTURES opportunity to Stopover in popular cities. Your Travel on a private departure with as few as price includes 3 nights accommodations, daily five travelers and your own Trip Experience breakfasts, and roundtrip private airport Leader. An additional cost will apply depending transfers. Here are a few popular destinations: on the number of travelers in your group.

7 GRAND CIRCLE FOUNDATION Changing people’s lives, one village, one school, one person at a time

ON THIS ADVENTURE … Dear Traveler, Since our inception in 1992, the Grand Circle In 1992 we established Grand Circle Foundation has pledged or donated more Foundation, an entity of the Lewis Family than $200 million to projects around the Foundation, as a means to give back to world. Here are just a few of the ways we have the world that had already given us so partnered with the communities on this trip. much. We’ve pledged or donated more than $200 million worldwide to support Escuela No 27 – el Porvenir the education of young people and the Total Donations: $6,166 preservation of international treasures For the 30 students in this small rural school and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and in northern Argentina, a partnership with GCF the conservation of natural resources for helped construct toilets for the kindergartners. future generations. COMBAS – Conservatorio de Musica y Of course, none of this would be possible Bellas Artes del Sur without your help. A portion of the proceeds COMBAS is a non-profit, music and art school of every adventure is donated to Grand founded in 2018, where the tuition from people Circle Foundation—so just as your life will that can afford to pay for lessons offset the be enriched by the discoveries you’ll make costs for children that are not able to pay and on your journey, you’ll also help to enrich in social risk. In 2021, the Symphony Orchestra project will begin with the delivery of 49 full the lives of the people you’ll meet along the scholarships for professional studies (including way. Thank you for traveling with us, and transportation and food) of vulnerable chil- for helping to change people’s lives. dren, selected for their age range and their so- Love and peace, cioeconomic situation. GCF will help fund these scholarships and obtain string instruments for 33 boys and girls. Harriet R. Lewis Chair, Grand Circle Foundation

SCAN ME See how Grand Circle Foundation is giving back in this video Open the camera feature on your mobile device, and hover the lens over this code to scan it. A pop-up notification will take you directly to the video.

www.grandcirclefoundation.org

8 THE LEADER IN SOLO TRAVEL in Chile & Argentina—and Around the World

ON THIS ADVENTURE …

FREE Single Supplements: We don’t charge The leader in solo-friendly a single supplement on this adventure and travel for Americans— optional trip extensions—a savings of $780- by the numbers $1395 per person compared to other travel companies. But single spaces fill quickly, so early reservations are advised. More than 50% of all O.A.T. travelers are women who travel solo One of our most popular trips for solo travelers. More than 580 solo travelers joined us on this adventure in 2018 and In 2022, we’re offering 30,000 2019—either independently or sharing singles spaces across all O.A.T. a room with a mother, daughter, sister, adventures. That’s 86% more than or friend. offered in 2019

High ratings: More than 92% of these solo of our 30,000 single spaces travelers rated their adventure excellent. 92% have FREE Single Supplements. The On average, half of your group will also remaining 8% have the lowest single be traveling independently, so it’s easy supplements in the industry. to forge special bonds as you experience unforgettable moments together. In 2022, we’re offering 25 exclusive women’s departures on some of our You’ll be in good hands, thanks to your most popular itineraries dedicated local Trip Experience Leader (a resident of Chile and Argentina), and the expertise of our regional office team in Chile and Argentina. NEW! 101+ SCAN ME Increased Single Space: In 2022, we have Tips for Solo 70% more single spaces than in 2019, Women Travelers with up to 8 single spaces per departure. This complimentary, 96-page See available FREE single space at booklet is a comprehensive collection of savvy tips www.oattravel.com/aca2022. specifically for seasoned women travelers going solo. Learn about safety for solos, packing like a pro, the best travel apps, self-care on the road, and more. Scan this code to view an online copy or to request one by mail.

9 Lower prices than last year—a value of $500 per couple

Chile & Argentina: The Andes to Patagonia Small Group Adventure Argentina: Buenos Aires, Bariloche, El Calafate | Chile: Puerto Varas, Chiloé Island, Punta Arenas, Torres del Paine National Park

Countries: 2 | Cities : 6 | 2 Nights in a Lodge in Torres Del Paine National Park

Small groups: 8-16 travelers—guaranteed! It’s Included (average of 13)

Explore in a small group of 8-16 34 meals—16 breakfasts, 10 lunches, FROM PER DAY DAYS • • travelers (average group size of 13) and 8 dinners (including 1 Home- $ $ Hosted Lunch) 4895 272 18 • International airfare, airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel • 20 small group activities Including international airfare surcharges unless you choose to make Services of a local O.A.T. Trip your own air arrangements • FREE Single Supplement Experience Leader All land transportation and • Gratuities for local guides, drivers, 3 internal flights • and luggage porters Maximize Your Accommodations for 16 nights • • 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward Discoveries & Value your next adventure—an average of $442

Optional extension s : SCAN ME Santiago & Easter Island’s Sacred Sites Watch our #1 most popular video 6 nights pre-trip from $2695 Travel from only $450 per night for this adventure Open the camera feature on your mobile device, and hover New! Northwestern Argentina: the lens over this code to scan it. A pop-up notification will Salta’s Andean Traditions & the take you directly to the video. Canyons of Cafayate 5 nights pre-trip from $2595 Travel from only $519 per night Iguassu Falls: Thundering Cascades of Argentina & Brazil 4 nights post-trip from $1495 Travel from only $374 per night New! Peruvian Discovery: Seaside Lima, the Lost City of Machu Picchu & Colonial Cuzco 6 nights post-trip from $1895 Travel from only $316 per night PLUS, see Dates & Prices for Stopover city options

Herd of guanaco, Torres del Paine, Chile

Chile & Argentina: The Andes to Patagonia

10 Buenos Aires URUGUAY Itinerary Summary R io PRE-TRIP EXTENSIONS P d e la Ahu Te Plata EASTER ISLAND Pito Kura A (RAPA NUI) a Pre-trip extensions: 6 nights in Santiago Rano Ahu Akivi Raraku ARGENTINA & Easter Island’s Sacred Sites OR New! Hanga Ahu c Roa Tongariki 5 nights in Northwestern Argentina: Salta’s A N Atlantic hu Akaha y nga i a m a Limay River i Ocean Andean Traditions & the Canyons of Cafayate Pacific Ocean To/from L Rano Kao Santiago (Optional Tour) f i Puerto Varas Bariloche Salta Puerto Montt POST-TRIP EXTENSIONS DAYS DESTINATION

í D i n u Castro Iguassu Falls q A a To/from n h Chiloé Rilan N a c Buenos Aires c l o e 1 Fly to Buenos Aires, I a BRAZIL c

C T O Argentina N ARGENTINA c g i E E t n Las Conchas R. G a O URUGUAY l CHILE a R t 2-3 Buenos Aires A Cafayate La Yesera A Buenos Aires

t c S Machu Picchu Perito Moreno 4-6 Fly to Bariloche a A S Ollantaytambo e ac Glacier El Calafate re Urub N d am V b To/From U.S. a a a Torres del A lle Internal flight P puri D y 7-8 Puerto Varas Paine N.P. mac Cuzco Land route E Rail route n To/from Punto Arenas Lima Ferry route S 9-10 Chiloé Island 0Miles 100 PERU 11-12 Fly to Punta Arenas

13-14 Torres del Paine, Chile What to Expect 15-16 El Calafate, Argentina

17 Fly to Buenos Aires

Pacing: 7 locations in 17 days with one 1-night stay 18 Return to U.S. Physical requirements: Travel over city streets, bumpy roads, and rugged paths; Post-trip extensions: 4 nights in Iguassu and walk and hike through backwoods on 4 treks of around 2 hours each. Three 6- to Falls: Thundering Cascades of Argentina 12-hour drives, and 3 internal flights of 2-5 hours each. & Brazil OR New! 6 nights in Peruvian Flight time: Travel time will be 11-17 hours and will most likely have one connection Discovery: Seaside Lima, the Lost City of Machu Picchu & Colonial Cuzco View all physical requirements at www.oattravel.com/aca2022

Arrive Early, Stay Later Chile & Argentina : The O.A.T. Difference Prices below include accommodations, daily breakfast, and private airport transfer. Our Best Value in Over 5 Years: Save up $500 per person with lower prices than • Spend more time in Buenos Aires last year and travel at the lowest price and per diems in the industry. before or after your main trip, or before your Northwestern Argentina pre-trip People-to-People Experiences: Visit a local family in the Patagonian steppe, extension for $50 per person, per night where you’ll saddle up like a true gaucho and ride horseback before sitting down • Arrive early in Santiago on your Easter to share a meal, and see how Bariloche’s land and culture blend when you meet a Island pre-trip extension for $75 per craft brewery owner. person, per night O.A.T. Exclusives: Spend A Day in the Life of the Rilan community on Chiloé • Remain in Iguassu Falls after your Island, where you’ll meet a local artisan who will delve into Rilan customs and Iguassu post-trip extension for $50 per person, per night then help a family prep a curanto—a stew cooked in the ground—before sharing this specialty during a Home-Hosted Lunch. You’ll also learn about the struggle • Spend more time in Cuzco after your Peru post-trip extension for $50 per person, of indigenous peoples when you meet with a member of the Mapuche tribe—an per night indigenous, agricultural people native to southern Chile and Argentina.

More than 93% of travelers rated this trip excellent

Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www.oattravel.com/aca2022

11 Chile & Argentina: The Andes to Patagonia

YOUR DETAILED ITINERARY

BEGIN YOUR ADVENTURE WITH AN OPTIONAL PRE-TRIP EXTENSION 6 nights in Santiago & Easter Island’s Sacred Sites

Day 1 Depart U.S. Day 5 Discover moai at Ahu Tongariki, Te Pito Kura & Anakena Beach Day 2 Arrive in Santiago, Chile Day 6 Visit Ahu Akivi • Sunset at Day 3 Explore Santiago • Welcome Dinner Tahai Beach Day 4 Fly to Easter Island • Visit Orongo & Day 7 Fly to Santiago Rano Kao Volcano Day 8 Fly to Buenos Aires

OR 5 nights in Northwestern Argentina: Salta’s Andean Traditions & the Canyons of Cafayate

Day 1 Depart U.S. Day 5 Salta • Overland to Cafayate • Empanada-making experience • Day 2 Arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina Hike La Yesera Day 3 Buenos Aires • Fly to Salta Day 6 Explore Cafayate • Visit Museo de la Day 4 Explore Salta Vid & Vino • Winery tour & tasting Day 7 Cafayate • Overland to Salta • Fly to Buenos Aires • Join main adventure

Day 1 Depart U.S. Day 2 Arrive Buenos Aires, Argentina

You depart the U.S. on an overnight flight to • Destination: Buenos Aires Argentina. Please refer to your individual air • Accommodations: Argenta Tower Hotel itinerary for exact departure and arrival times. or similar Morning: We arrive in the cosmopolitan capital of Argentina this morning; most flights arrive between 8am and 12pm. You will be

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

12 met at the airport by an O.A.T. representative surroundings during a 30-minute orientation and transfer about one hour to your hotel. walk. As we stroll through the heart of Buenos We’ll check in to our hotel and meet travelers Aires, we’ll catch a glimpse of the many options who took the optional pre-trip extensions and activities available to us during our stay: to Santiago & Easter Island’s Sacred Sites and sidewalk cafés ideal for people-watching over New! Northwestern Argentina: Salta’s Andean a cortado (coffee with milk) and medialunas Traditions & the Canyons of Cafayate and join (croissants); nearby markets, mansions, and our local Trip Experience Leader. We spend two quiet cobbled streets; and wide boulevards nights in our centrally-located Buenos Aires showcasing the city’s elegant mixture of classic hotel. Depending where we stay, you can take and modern architectural styles. advantage of the hotel’s amenities which may Dinner: On your own—your Trip Experience feature a rooftop swimming pool, sauna, fitness Leader can provide recommendations. With center, and on-site restaurant. Typical rooms influences from French and Italian to Spanish may include air conditioning, Internet access, and indigenous fare, there’s no telling what cable TV, minibar, and private bathroom. you might choose to eat—though Argentina’s Lunch: On your own around 12:30pm. Your succulent grass-fed beef might be a good place Trip Experience Leader can recommend local to start. restaurants to try. Evening: The remainder of the evening is yours Afternoon: You’ll have a few hours free this to explore Buenos Aires. You may choose to afternoon to acquaint yourself with all the relax at the hotel or venture out into the city, city has to offer and make discoveries on your spotting vibrant street art, graffiti, and urban own. Perhaps you’ll step into one of Buenos art vendors. Aires’s famed milongas (dance salons) to dance Freedom To Explore: During your two days the tango. in Buenos Aires, you have the freedom to We’ll meet back at our hotel around 5pm for an explore this lively South American city on informative briefing on our adventure with our your own during your free time. Below are a Trip Experience Leader. During this 45-minute few recommended options for independent briefing, we will introduce ourselves and explorations: review our itinerary in more detail (including • Tour the famed Teatro Colón: Considered any changes that may need to occur). Our Trip one of the most important opera houses in Experience Leader will also discuss logistics, the world, visitors can take in its exceptional safety and emergency procedures, and answer acoustics, stunning architecture, and presti- questions we may have—this is your chance to gious history on a guided tour. Originally built get them answered firsthand, whether you have in 1857, the opera house was replaced over the questions about a particular optional tour, how course of 20 years. Since its opening in 1908, much free time you’ll have during your stay in the current structure has hosted a number of Argentina and Chile, specific activities or places celebrated composers and artists, including you are hoping to see, and beyond.

Then around 6pm, we’ll slip into the swirl of activity that fills the surrounding streets, joining the flurry of pedestrian traffic, business workers, and fashionistas as we get to know our

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

13 Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky, and Aaron Day 3 Explore Buenos Aires • Copland, as well as the Vienna Philharmonic Controversial Topic: The “Disappeared” Orchestra. of Argentina’s Dirty War with a firsthand • How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute walk account from Manuel Massolo • or 5-minute taxi ride, about $3 USD one Tango lesson way. • Destination: Buenos Aires • Hours: 9am-5pm, daily. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner • Cost: About $17 USD. • Accommodations: Argenta Tower Hotel • Explore the Evita Museum: Learn the story or similar of Eva Perón and see the nearly 400 original artifacts, pieces of clothing, and photos from Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today we will her life. Inaugurated in 2002, the museum discuss the Controversial Topic of the tens is housed in a 20th century mansion with of thousands of people who were kidnapped, architectural influences from the Italian tortured, or killed during the Dirty War—the Renaissance and the Spanish Plateresco infamous campaign waged from 1976 to 1983 styles, designated as a National Historic by Argentina’s military dictatorship. We’ll Monument in 1999. The Fundación Eva hear a firsthand account from local Manuel Perón originally purchased and restored the Massolo about what it was like to grow up as mansion in 1948 as a temporary shelter for the son of a “disappeared” woman. Depending women and children. on your departure, we may speak to a different person about their similar experience. It may be How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute taxi • difficult to hear these harsh truths, but it will ride, about $6 USD one way. paint a fuller picture of Argentina. See more Hours: 11am-7pm, Tuesday-Sunday. • about this topic below. • Cost: About $6 USD. • Take in the verdant scenery at the Rose Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at Garden: A part of the Bosque de Palermo 7am, featuring typical Argentinian fare like group of parks in the city, the rose garden tostadas (toast) or medialunas (a flaky pastry features more than 18,000 roses. Discover an similar to a croissant). amphitheater, the White Bridge, and a poets’ Morning: Around 8:30am, we’ll depart via garden featuring busts of 26 famous writers, public transportation for an approximate including William Shakespeare. Built on land 4-hour city tour led by a local guide to discover that belonged to former Argentine President the rich history of Buenos Aires—an epic tale Juan Manuel de Rosas prior to his defeat in of birth and rebirth, protests and passions, 1852, the rose garden was designed by French suffering and triumph set against the placid landscaper Charles Thays and completed by landscape of the Rio de la Plata—from a local Belgian landscaper Benito Carrasco in 1914. perspective, as we explore a few of its barrios • How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute taxi (neighborhoods). ride, about $4 USD one way. • Hours: 8am-5pm, Tuesday-Sunday. Around 9am, we’ll walk about 15 minutes • Cost: Free. to Plaza de Mayo, where we’ll spend a little under an hour. We’ll then depart by bus around 9:45am and drive about 30 minutes to La Boca neighborhood, the colorful streets where the

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

14 Argentine tango was born. There, we’ll observe The newly created dictatorship wasted no the many street artists and dancers that work in time searching for anyone they considered to this area. You’ll have about an hour to discover be a dissenter, from political rivals to average the city on your own before hopping back on the citizens suspected of being aligned with leftist, bus around 11:15am. socialist, or social justice movements. Thus began the Dirty War, a time of terror when the After driving for about a half hour toward the people of Argentina lived in fear that a loved hotel, we’ll stop at a historic café, where we’ll one—or even themselves—could be taken away hear firsthand testimony about the almost at any moment, for any perceived reason. The decade-long dictatorship in Argentina from dictatorship refused to even release the names local Manuel Massolo. He will discuss the of those incarcerated and killed, denying these Controversial Topic of the 30,000 people people ever existed at all. But the families left who disappeared during this dark chapter in behind knew, and searched in vain for their Argentine history. From 1976 to 1983, tens loved ones. One of the cruelest acts of the Dirty of thousands of Argentines were kidnapped, War was the abduction of pregnant women tortured, or killed during the country’s last who were kept alive just long enough to give dictatorship in a campaign known as the birth; their babies were then either given to Dirty War. We’ll learn about this complicated other families as “spoils of war,” or simply history with Manuel—who sadly experienced abandoned in orphanages with their identities these atrocities as the child of one of the many stripped away. It is believed around 500 babies “disappeared” people. were stolen in this way. After the death of democratically-elected Since the beginning of these disappearances, president Juan Perón, his widow—Isabel a group of women formed to fight tirelessly on Perón—briefly took over his rule in 1974. But the behalf of the missing, particularly children. in 1976, the Argentine military overthrew They started protesting in the nearby Plaza the government in a coup, and put in place a de Mayo in 1977 and despite facing inevitable dictatorship led by Lieutenant General Jorge backlash from the government, the women Rafael Videla, Admiral Emilio Eduardo Massera, persisted. Their actions created awareness of and Brigadier-General Orlando Ramón Agosti. a dark campaign that counted on silence and This was part of a series of political coups called intimidation to carry out atrocities and helped Operation Condor, a campaign notoriously to turn the public against the dictatorship. sponsored by the United States government. Today, these women—now part of the NGO By the 1970s, eight South American countries, Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo—are recognized including Argentina, had been taken over worldwide for their human rights efforts that by right-wing dictators or military juntas. led to finding the lost children born in captivity However, the governments feared being and denied their true identities. Their research, overthrown by communist insurgencies. combined with DNA testing, has helped The U.S., similarly wishing to avoid a rise in to reunite some of these people with their communist-friendly governments, agreed to biological relatives. help them fight these perceived threats through training from the CIA. Manuel Massolo was only a newborn when these events all began, but they affected the rest of his life. Manuel’s mother was Maria Eugenia Sanllorenti de Massolo, one of the

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15 many people kidnapped and assassinated by Lunch: On your own around 1:30pm. Ask your Argentinean military forces. She was just 23 Trip Experience Leader for recommendations. years old, finishing up a degree in architecture, You might like to try choripan, beef or pork and—along with Manuel’s father Carlos—an sausage (traditionally chorizo) served on a active member of the JUP, a Perónist university roll and usually accompanied by a chimichurri youth group. The couple also frequently (parsley, garlic, olive oil, oregano and red wine volunteered their time in poor neighborhoods, vinegar) sauce. another reason she may have been targeted. Afternoon: You’ll have more than four hours of Manuel was only 15 days old at the time of her free time to explore Buenos Aires independently disappearance on December 1, 1976. this afternoon. If this day falls on a weekend, Soon after Maria’s abduction, Manuel’s father perhaps you’ll head to the San Telmo antique and aunt realized they would need to find and artisan market (open only on Sundays a safer place to live, but taking Manuel into from 10am-6pm) to browse the boutiques hiding with them proved complicated as he and market stands, and revel in the bohemian was so young. So, he was sent to live with his vibe of the surrounding neighborhood. Or, you paternal grandparents in another city until may take in some culture at the Museo de Arte he was around 5 years old. In 1982, during Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, better known the last throes of the dictatorship, Manuel’s as MALBA, which contains pieces by such father re-married and moved Manuel and his noteworthy Latin American artists as Diego new family to Patagonia. He wouldn’t return Rivera and Frida Kahlo. to Buenos Aries until he was 18 to attend Around 5pm, we’ll regroup at the hotel and university. It would not be until 2010 that put on our dancing shoes for a 1-hour tango the remains of Manuel’s mother were found lesson. Our two instructors are also professional and identified from a mass grave in a public dancing partners, and will first perform for cemetery. His family was finally able to give her us. Then they will turn their attentions to our a proper burial and grieve their loss. Manuel, group, and teach us some basic steps of this now 44 and a father himself, has found the nationally beloved, passionate dance. courage to share his story in the hopes of spreading awareness of this dark period in his Dinner: Around 6:30pm, our small group country’s history—shining a light on other will head to a local restaurant to enjoy an now-grown children who may never even know included Welcome Dinner featuring regional who their real parents were, let alone find the Argentine fare. closure they deserve. Evening: We’ll return to the hotel around 9pm During this hour-long conversation, Manuel and the remainder of the evening is yours will share his story for about 20 minutes, and to relax or perhaps enjoy a nightcap at the we’ll then have about 40 minutes to ask any hotel bar. questions we may have about this difficult topic, such as how it affects people today.

We’ll depart the café around 12:45pm, arriving back at our hotel around 1:15pm.

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16 Day 4 Fly to Bariloche The remainder of the day is yours to explore on your own. Around 4:30pm, your Trip • Destination: Bariloche Experience Leader will lead you downtown for • Included Meals: Breakfast a 1-hour orientation walk to acquaint you with • Accommodations: Cacique Inacayal Hotel the area. or similar Dinner: On your own this evening. Your Trip Activity note: Today, we’ll spend about six Experience Leader can recommend one of the hours traveling from Buenos Aires to Bariloche. city’s many restaurants. While beef reigns Travel time includes overland transfers and a supreme in Argentina, salmon and trout are 2-hour flight. plentiful in Patagonian lakes and rivers, and are Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at popular dishes served fresh or smoked with a 7am, featuring Argentinian dishes. variety of sauces.

Morning: Around 9am, we’ll depart our Buenos Evening: The evening is yours to continue your Aires hotel by bus, traveling around 30 minutes independent discoveries of Bariloche. Perhaps to the airport. We’ll arrive around 9:30am and you’ll have a drink at one of the city’s many check in to our flight to Bariloche, departing microbreweries or pubs. around 11:30am. Freedom To Explore: During your three days in Lunch: On your own. You may wish to pick Bariloche, you have the freedom to explore this something up in the airport to enjoy during Lake District destination on your own during the flight. your free time. Below are a few recommended options for independent explorations: Afternoon: On our flight, we can gaze out the windows at the peaks that surround • Indulge your sweet tooth at the Museo this lakeside city nestled in the foothills del Chocolate: Famous for its chocolate, of the Andes. Set along the banks of the Bariloche offers visitors a taste of its histo- 40-mile-long Lake Nahuel Huapi, San Carlos ry-making sweets with a tour of its museum de Bariloche—as the city is more formally and factory. Take the 2,000 year journey known—is the gateway to Patagonia’s Lake through the history of this decadent treat and District, and has a distinctly alpine flavor learn about the its production. indicative of its strong Central European • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute taxi influence. This is most apparent in the wood ride, about $3 USD one way. and stone architecture of the city center, • Hours: 10am-6pm, daily. which—along with its status as an international • Cost: About $2 USD. skiing destination—helps give Bariloche the • Enjoy High Tea at the Llao Llao Hotel: nickname “Little Switzerland.” Traditional afternoon tea is served alongside We’ll arrive in Bariloche around 2pm and a buffet of pastries, sandwiches, and cakes— transfer to our hotel, arriving around 3:15pm all from the scenic Winter Garden room. for check in. Depending on where we stay, hotel Taste the signature “Llao Llao” blend that amenities may include an on-site restaurant, swimming pool, and spa. Typical rooms may feature a television, minibar, personal safe, and private bathroom.

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17 was created by Inés Berton, an internation- Activity Note: Today’s excursion will include a ally-renowned tea sommelier or enjoy a hot hike lasting approximately 2 hours through a chocolate. forested area.

• How to get there: A 35- to 45-minute taxi Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at ride, about $12 USD one way. 7am, featuring Argentinian dishes. Don’t miss • Hours: 4:30pm-6:30pm, daily. the local berry jams. • Cost: About $24 USD. Morning: Around 8:30am, we’ll set off • Take a cable car to the top of Otto Hill: Ascend by motorcoach for a 30-minute drive to to 4,600 feet above sea level on a 4-person Campanario Hill, where we’ll enjoy a chairlift cable car ride, traveling just over a mile to ride up this steep peak, climbing high above the reach the top. Enjoy panoramic views as you tree line for a panoramic view of Patagonia’s sip hot chocolate in the rotating patisserie, scenery. Then, around 10:15am, we’ll take the visit an art gallery, or, if you’re feeling up for chairlift back down and depart for another 30 a more physical activity, set off on a hike on minutes to Brazo Tristeza, a scenic area located one of the many trails. along a shimmering lake. Here we’ll hike for • How to get there: A 30-minute taxi ride, nearly 2 hours, taking in views of the deep about $15 USD one way, or a free shuttle green foliage and stark mountains mirrored in from the downtown area; also approxi- the azure water along the way. mately 30 minutes. • Hours: 10am-5pm, daily. Then, around 12:45pm, we’ll drive 15 minutes • Cost: Cable car ride is about $19 USD; to a family-owned craft brewery. Here, we’ll entrance to Otto Hill is free. witness how Bariloche’s land and culture come together when we see how locally grown Day 5 Explore Bariloche • Controversial ingredients are used to brew beer. Considering Topic: Nazi history in Patagonia with the strong German influence in Bariloche, Bariloche resident Nora Schulz • Hike it’s no surprise that locals are experts at Brazo Tristeza • Craft brewery visit transforming their region’s fresh hops, barley, and pristine water into a variety of beers and • Destination: Bariloche ales using artisanal methods passed down from • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner generation to generation. The owner and his • Accommodations: Cacique Inacayal Hotel father will walk us through the brewing process. or similar Lunch: We’ll enjoy lunch at the brewery around Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today’s agenda 1:30pm, including a sampling of the brewery’s features the Controversial Topic of Nazi libations. history in Patagonia. Following World War II, several German war criminals fled to Afternoon: We’ll depart by bus for our hotel Patagonia. Led by Bariloche resident Nora around 2:30pm, stopping along the way for a Schulz, this conversation will explore the panoramic view of the Patagonian landscape. illicit circumstances surrounding their We’ll arrive back at the hotel around 3:30pm admittance into the country, as well as tensions and have about 1.5 hours of free time. Check that still exist today. Read more about this with your Trip Experience Leader for activity activity below. suggestions.

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18 Around 5pm, our group will reconvene for a the government offered free land grants to 30-minute drive to the home of local resident Europeans in order to populate the remote Nora Schulz, with whom we’ll discuss the southern region. Therefore, the relationship Controversial Topic of Nazi history in between the countries has historically been a Patagonia. In the aftermath of World War II, symbiotic one, making Argentina an obvious thousands of Nazis immigrated to various destination for war criminals. The government South American countries—most of all, enthusiastically welcomed these offenders. Argentina. These nations were safe havens for Argentine president Juan Perón was famously German war criminals because they were run by drawn to fascist ideologies, and as a young military dictators. Our conversation with Nora man, he served as a military attaché in Italy will explore this illicit exodus and shed light on during the early years of the war. Driven by life for the German community today. his political leanings, he hoped to leverage the military and technical expertise of these Born in Bariloche in the 1960s, Nora is of criminals; hence his advocacy for their German, Italian, and Argentinean descent. migration. Of course, Argentina was not the Culturally, she was raised German, speaking only country to “poach” criminals from the German at home with her family and attending Third Reich—the United States and Soviet German school. Today, she works as a German Union were also known to protect Nazis in language teacher, and whenever possible, exchange for their help during the Cold War. seeks to educate the global community on the history of her region, a history she knows Today, Bariloche is a vibrant, multicultural intimately—in fact, she personally knew a community struggling to reconcile its German war criminal by the name of Erich controversial past. Prejudice against the Priebke. Priebke was a mid-level SS commander German population is still felt, despite the convicted of war crimes in Italy. He managed fact that no one has publicly voiced allegiance to escape to Argentina following the fall of the to the Nazi party, and residents like Nora are regime, where he changed his name and lived caught in the middle. They love their heritage, in hiding for nearly 50 years. In Bariloche, but understand the fears and judgements of he owned a grocery store that sold German those on the outside. They are simply forced to products and was very active and beloved in live with this division. We’ll hear from Nora on the community, even serving as president the issue for about 20 minutes before opening of the local German Cultural Association at up the conversation to a 40-minute Q&A. one point. Nora and her family came to know Take this opportunity to ask any questions Priebke quite well, socializing with him at you may have. Perhaps you’ll ask if Nora ever parties and events—until one day in the experienced prejudice herself, or maybe you’ll mid-90s he was discovered by a BBC journalist inquire further about her relationship with and extradited to Italy for trial. Sadly, Priebke Erich Priebke. was one of many war criminals walking among Around 6:30pm, we’ll say goodbye to Nora and innocent residents like Nora, striving to evade drive 30 minutes back to our hotel. punishment and begin anew. Dinner: At the hotel around 7:15pm, featuring a The German community in Argentina was selection of Argentine dishes. alive and well even before the end of World War II, with the biggest migration of German immigrants occurring in the mid-1800s when

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19 Evening: On your own to make discoveries lives with her husband and one of her four around this lakeside city. Perhaps you’ll have a children just outside Bariloche in the Lafkenche nightcap at the hotel bar, taking in the scenic community, which is made up of seven views of the surrounding region where water, Mapuche families (including her own). During mountains, and forests all meet. our hour-long conversation today, Cristina will discuss how these families fought to take back Day 6 Bariloche • Controversial Topic: the land they live on—and why they had to do Mapuche native rights in Argentina with so in the first place. activist Cristina Beatriz Marin • Optional Argentinian Mapuche land is largely made up Limay River float • Horseback ride and of the central south provinces of Neuquén, family dinner on the Patagonian steppe Chubut, and Rio Negro. When Europeans first • Destination: Bariloche arrived in Chile and Argentina between the • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 16th and 19th centuries, this native people’s land was gradually stripped away from them. • Accommodations: Cacique Inacayal Hotel This violence ultimately led to military or similar campaigns by the Chilean and Argentinian Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today’s activities armies between 1878 and 1885 that wiped out include a conversation about the ongoing much of the native population. While some Controversial Topic of Mapuche native rights historians acknowledge this devastating in Argentina with a local activist. Upon arrival genocide, others tend to focus instead on the here, Europeans stripped away the land and economic boost Argentina experienced due the rights of the indigenous Mapuche people to agricultural and real estate investments over the course of several centuries, the effects on this stolen land. And the discrimination of which are still felt today as the Mapuche the Mapuche people experienced in these people fight to preserve their heritage and early days prevailed. In the decades following recover their land. Learn more about these the territorial conquests, descendants of the conversations below. natives were treated as second-class citizens for whom job opportunities were limited. Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at Today, the unemployment rate hovers around 7am, featuring Argentinian dishes. 9%, and the Mapuche people—which amount Morning: Around 8:45am, we’ll gather at to around 114,000 across Argentina—live in the the hotel and walk about 15 minutes to the poorest neighborhoods in the provinces, where Patagonia Museum. When we arrive around domestic violence and drug use are rampant. 9am, we’ll head into a private room at the As such, even now, many Mapuche people have museum to discuss a Controversial Topic grown up ashamed of their ancestry, feeling in Patagonia: the plight of the Mapuche, an forced to hide their heritage to succeed in indigenous, agricultural people native to modern society. southern Chile and Argentina. During our conversation with Cristina, we’ll This morning, we’ll meet Cristina Beatriz learn about what it’s like to live as a member of Marin. Born in Bariloche in 1963, Cristina is the Mapuche community today. Though things a philosophy professor and Mapuche activist are changing for the better, discrimination who speaks with travelers about keeping this against the Mapuche is still perpetuated by the indigenous people’s culture alive. Today, she government, especially since a conservative

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20 party came to power at the end of 2015. For Afternoon: Around 2:30pm, we’ll regroup and example, those Mapuche people who have then head out by minibus to visit a local family, claim over land from their ancestors are in the Haneks, living on the Patagonian steppe. most cases unable to take it back, as there is We’ll arrive about an hour later and have the no written documentation of the ownership. chance to enter their home and interact with This often results in the government kicking members of the family—an experience that is families off their land to make room for real only possible because of our small group size. estate development. And the fight to preserve Around 3:30pm, we’ll learn about their way of culture and customs carries on. As part of her life when we mount up for a horseback ride that work, Cristina travels around the country to lets us experience this traditional local mode of support 140 Mapuche communities and 11 transportation. We’ll ride for about 45 minutes, schools (many of which are in danger of closing dismounting to then enjoy a walk through the due to lack of funding). One of her main goals is Patagonian steppe. to help preserve the Mapuche language through Dinner: Around 6pm, we’ll savor a lamb education, as only about 7% of the native barbecue at the family ranch. As we dine, we’ll population speaks Mapudungun. Cristina’s learn about the family and their history in hope is to incorporate the language into core Argentina. The Haneks’ ancestors re-located to subjects for rural school curricula throughout Patagonia from Germany in the 1800s—just one the provinces. of many European families who were given land After a 20-minute presentation, we’ll have by the Argentine government as a reward for about 40 minutes to ask Cristina any questions helping establish the border between Argentina we may have. Then, around 10am, we’ll walk and Chile. If you’re curious to hear their back to the hotel, at which point the rest of the perspective on our discussion with Cristina morning is free for independent exploration in from early today, they would be happy to share Bariloche. their insights.

Or, around 10:45am, you may choose to take an Evening: We depart the ranch around 7:30pm optional excursion to the Limay River, where to drive back to the hotel, arriving around we’ll float by raft along the river for a close look 8:30pm. The remainder of the evening is yours at the landscapes of the northern Patagonian to relax or explore Bariloche independently. steppe. We’ll embark on an approximate hour-long van ride to the river and spend about Day 7 Overland to Puerto Varas, Chile an hour there, heading back to rejoin our group • Destination: Puerto Varas, Chile around 2:30pm. A popular site for fly-fishing, • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch this river is home to an abundance of large rainbow and brown trout. • Accommodations: Radisson Puerto Varas or similar Lunch: On your own. Perhaps you’ll try one of Activity Note: Today, we’ll travel 8 to 10 hours Bariloche’s regional specialties, such as jabali overland into Chile. As we cross the border from (wild boar), at a local restaurant. Travelers Argentina into Chile, we will have our passports taking the optional tour will enjoy a boxed stamped, which can take up to a few hours, lunch under a covered quincho near the river. depending how many people are crossing that day. Along the way, we will stop for 1.5 hours to have lunch and change buses.

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21 Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at • Hunt for artwork and handicrafts at the 7am, featuring Argentinian cuisine. Artisans Fair: This small fair is located in front of Puerto Varas’ main square and fea- Morning: At around 8am this morning, we’ll tures a variety of handcrafted items for sale. bid farewell to Bariloche and make our overland Look for traditional goods made from larch transfer of 8 to 10 hours to Chile, crossing the and raulí wood or wool. Andes and the border. Our motorcoach will cross the Andes Mountains as we take in views • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk. of snowcapped peaks, jagged rock towers, and • Hours: 11am-7:30pm, daily. freshwater lakes on our drive. We’ll arrive at the • Cost: Free. Chilean border around 12pm. • Search for handmade textiles at Mapuches Handicrafts: This local non-profit organiza- Lunch: Around 1:30pm, we’ll stop in tion offers Mapuche-crafted textiles, jewelry, Moncopulli, Chile for lunch en route at a local and ceramics. restaurant. • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk. Afternoon: We’ll depart for the final leg of • Hours: 10:30am-1:30pm, Monday, our transfer around 3pm, arriving at our hotel Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; in Puerto Varas around 4:30pm. Depending 2:30pm-6:45pm, Tuesday, Thursday, and on where we stay, the hotel may feature an Sunday. indoor pool and on-site spa. Typical rooms may • Cost: Free. include free wireless Internet, an in-room safe, • Visit the Iglesia Sagrado Corazon: Built be- and private bathroom. tween 1915 and 1918 by Edmundo Niklitschek After checking in, you’ll have free time to and Bernardo Klenner from native wood, this relax or explore our new surroundings in church was declared a national monument in Puerto Varas. Perhaps you’ll take some time 1992. Drawing architectural influences from to discover the town’s German heritage the Marienkirche Church in the Black Forest, juxtaposed with its craggy, volcanic landscape. it is a symbol of German colonization in the south of Chile. Dinner: On your own—your Trip Experience • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk. Leader can provide recommendations for local • Hours: 10am-1pm and 4pm-9pm, restaurants. You may want to try Pastel de Tuesday-Sunday. Choclo, a traditional corn and beef casserole. • Cost: Free. Evening: The remainder of the evening is yours to explore. You may choose to have a nightcap at a local bar along the costanera (scenic trail) which boasts views of Lago Llanquihue.

Freedom To Explore: During your time in Puerto Varas, you have the freedom to explore this lakeside Chilean locale on your own during your free time. Below are a few recommended options for independent explorations:

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22 Day 8 Puerto Varas • Grand Circle over ancient lava that has been polished by silt Foundation visit: COMBAS fine arts over the centuries into a bed of smooth stone. school • Home-Hosted Dinner • Explore Along the way, our knowledgeable local guide Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park and Trip Experience Leader will point out any Patagonian wildlife we may encounter. • Destination: Puerto Varas • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Then, around 12pm, we’ll begin our return • Accommodations: Radisson Puerto Varas trip to Puerto Varas, arriving at our hotel or similar around 1:15pm.

Exclusive O.A.T. Activities: Today’s activities Lunch: On your own—our Trip Experience include a visit to COMBAS, a non-profit Leader would be happy to provide restaurant fine arts school supported by Grand Circle recommendations. Foundation since 2021. During our visit, we’ll Afternoon: The early afternoon is yours to learn about the organization’s Children’s spend as you please. Perhaps you’ll rent a bike Orchestra, which provides complimentary and ride along the ciclovia (bike lane) that music lessons to vulnerable children. circles Lake Llanquihue. Afterward, we’ll split into smaller groups of no more than 5 to enjoy a Home-Hosted Dinner At approximately 4:30pm, we’ll make our way with a local family—a unique opportunity to to COMBAS, a non-profit fine arts school and enjoy local dishes while learning about life and a new Grand Circle Foundation Site. Upon culture in Puerto Varas. Read more about these arrival around 4:45pm, we’ll be greeted by experiences below. founder Jean Paul Harb, or one of the school’s instructors, who will detail the school’s mission Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at and lead us on a tour of the facility. 6:30am, featuring Chilean dishes. A traditional Chilean breakfast is usually simple; for example Founded in 2018, COMBAS seeks to promote toast with avocado served with either sweet tea artistic education in southern Chile by offering or coffee with milk. classes in music, dance, and visual and performing arts to adults and children. While Morning: Around 9am, we’ll drive by bus most lessons at COMBAS are paid for by the about one hour to Vicente Pérez Rosales students, the organization also maintains a National Park, a protected natural area that has Children’s Orchestra, which provides music been shaped by ancient glaciers and volcanic lessons to at-risk children free of charge. eruptions. In the distant eastern limits of the park, the Osorno Volcano’s snowcapped cone In its first year of operation, the Orchestra towers over Lake Llanquihue. The Mapuche project provided scholarships (including Indians call this area the meeting ground training, transportation, and food) to 49 between man and God, and with its mirror-like vulnerable children. These students, who lakes, cascading falls, and volcanic mountains, range in age from 6 to 14 years, all come from it remains one of Chile’s most popular regions low-income families and often face difficulties to visit. at home, including domestic violence and substance abuse. The goal of the project is to Around 10:15am, we’ll set off on an provide these students with a safe environment hour-and-fifteen-minute walk through the and new skills that will keep them from turning Petrohue Rapids, where chutes of water flow to drugs and violence.

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23 As we tour the facility, we’ll see some of the granados (local bean stew) and sip Chilean children practicing their instruments, and wine, we’ll learn more about what life is like in we’ll have the opportunity to interact with the Puerto Varas. Several of the families moved to students and their teachers. You might even try Puerto Varas from elsewhere in Chile; you may your hand at playing one of the instruments want to ask what drew them to this far-flung yourself. city and about the employment opportunities available to them. Because the school is relatively new, it has received very little support beyond a few Before saying hasta luego (see you later) to one-time donations of musical instruments. our hosts around 8pm, we’ll enjoy a sweet The teachers’ salaries, plus all maintenance treat: perhaps cake with locally grown fruits costs, must be covered by the tuition collected like murta (Chilean guava berry) or ruibarbo from paid lessons. As we’ll hear from Jean Paul, (rhubarb). it’s been difficult for COMBAS make ends meet. Evening: The evening is yours to continue As the organization’s first long-term partner, making independent discoveries. If you have Grand Circle Foundation will provide funds to a sweet tooth, you may wish to seek out help with much needed renovations, including one of the artisanal chocolate shops around repairing ceiling leaks, installing a heating Puerto Varas. system to combat the brutal cold, and painting the exterior of the building. Day 9 Chiloé Island • Explore Castro Our visit concludes around 6pm, at which time • Destination: Chiloé Island we’ll begin making our way to local families’ • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch homes for our Home-Hosted Dinner. To facilitate a more intimate experience, we’ll • Accommodations: Enjoy Chiloé Hotel be split into smaller groups of no more than 5 or similar travelers for this special meal. Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at 6:30am, featuring Chilean dishes. Dinner: Upon arrival at the family’s home around 6:30pm, we’ll be greeted by our Morning: Around 8:30am, we’ll drive by bus to hosts and invited into the kitchen to prepare catch an approximate 20-minute ferry ride to empanadas, a traditional stuffed dumpling Chiloé Island. This windswept island off Chile’s that’s very popular in this region of Chile. As coast is known for its rugged landscape and the empandas bake, our hosts will show us seafaring people. We’ll arrive at our hotel in the around the property before we get to know one island’s capital city of Castro at around noon. another over Pisco Sours (a citrus cocktail made Chile’s third-oldest city, Castro is brimming with Pisco, a brandy unique to Chile and Peru). with color and expansive coastlines.

The families we dine with in Puerto Varas are Lunch: Around noon at our hotel in Castro, varied—some are couples with pets, others featuring Chilean and American dishes. have children, while others are comprised of several generations. All of them live in Afternoon: We’ll officially check into our hotel well-appointed, single-family homes nestled and receive our room assignments around 2pm, in the beautiful Patagonian surroundings. After after which you’ll have two hours to explore enjoying our empandas, the main courses begin. the amenities, or rest in your room for the As we dine on homemade dishes like porotos adventure ahead. Depending on where we stay,

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24 our hotel may feature two on-site restaurants • Explore the Castro Artisans Market: Weavers and a heated pool. Typical rooms might include and other artisans from the island gather a private bath, mini bar, and flat-screen TV. in the market to sell their crafts, products, and textiles. Around 4pm, we’ll depart our hotel by bus and drive about 15 minutes to Nercon Church, • How to get there: A 30-minute walk or a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a prime a 10-minute taxi ride, about $6 USD one example of Chilota architecture nestled in a way. village. At around 4:45pm, we’ll board our • Hours: 8am-8pm, daily. bus to venture back into Castro, arriving • Cost: Free. around 5:15pm. We’ll begin to get acquainted • Get a local taste of Chiloé at the Municipal with the city with a visit to the Church of San Market: This farmers market sells everything Francisco, Castro’s main church and a UNESCO from fruits and vegetables to seafood and World Heritage Site sitting on the city’s main small plates of regional cuisine. square. These churches were established in • How to get there: A 20- to 30-minute walk the 17th century by Jesuit missionaries and or a 10-minute taxi ride, about $6 USD one represent the melding of Spanish Catholicism way. with indigenous culture. Then, we’ll depart at • Hours: 8am-8pm, daily. around 5:30pm for a 15-minute walk to view • Cost: Free. Castro’s iconic palafitos. These vibrantly-hued • Discover the history of the island at the homes balance on stilts and are perhaps Museo Municipal de Castro: Established Castro’s most iconic view. We may even have to in 1967, the museum exhibits collections chance to look at one of these rainbow homes to honor the history and heritage of the up close. archipelago of Patagonia. Witness a variety We’ll head back to our hotel by bus around of artifacts made from native woods that 6:30pm. You’ll then have some free time to demonstrate the craftsmanship of local relax or explore this coastal city on your own. carpenters, photographs of the aftermath Perhaps you’ll discover contemporary Chilean of the 1960 earthquake, and architectural art at the Museo de Arte Moderno Chiloé, models of the area. northwest of downtown Castro. • How to get there: A 30- to 35-minute walk Dinner: Whenever you’d like this evening, or a 10- to 15-minute taxi ride, about $6 ask your Trip Experience Leader for USD one way. recommendations. • Hours: 9:30am-1pm, 3pm-6pm, daily. • Cost: Free. Evening: The remainder of the evening is yours. You may retire to your room to rest or perhaps you’ll explore the local nightlife in Castro.

Freedom To Explore: During your time on Chiloé Island, you have the freedom to explore the island on your own during your free time. Below are some recommended options for independent explorations:

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25 Day 10 Castro • A Day in the Life of the orchard and on their farm. We’ll have a chance Rilan community to help out with some farm chores during our time at their home. Depending on the season, • Destination: Chiloé Island we might pitch in to plant or harvest potatoes, • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch harvest apples from the orchard, or pick • Accommodations: Enjoy Chiloé Hotel herbs which are used for teas and infusions. or similar Afterwards, we’ll join Raul and Isle under the Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today we’ll spend A fogon—a covered outdoor structure to protect Day in the Life of the Rilan community on Chiloé from Chiloé’s frequently rainy weather—for a island, where we’ll interact with locals, help chat. Over a mug of traditional mate or herbal with farm chores, and enjoy a typical lunch tea, we’ll learn about local customs and about with our hosts, Raul and Ilse. Read more about the changes that threated Rilan and Chiloé’s this activity below. traditional ways of life. Of particular concern to Raul is the large-scale salmon farming Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at that has cropped up in the area. Chile is the 7am, featuring Chilean dishes. second-largest producer of salmon in the world, but salmon are not native to Chile; Morning: We’ll depart by motorcoach around without natural predators, the local salmon 8:45am for our experience of A Day in the Life of population has exploded, wiping out native the Rilan community in Chiloé, arriving about species, rupturing the delicate ecosystem and 45 minutes later. When we arrive in the town contaminating the ocean floors with their food square, we’ll be greeted by Raul—our host for and droppings. Raul previously worked as an the day and a Rilan native. Raul will lead us on a independent fisherman, and then as a union short walk around his town, pausing to interact leader in the salmon farming industry before with any locals we come across. As a pillar of his outspokenness over the industry’s effect on the Rilan community, Raul offers a unique the environment cost him his job. As such, he perspective on the joys and challenges of living has direct experience with this issue. in this remote part of Chile. Around 11:45am, we’ll help our hosts prepare Our first stop will be to the Church of Rilan, lunch, a traditional meal called a curanto. which has been designated a National Curanto is a stew consisting of typical Monument of Chile and one of Chiloé’s sixteen local fare—shellfish, meat, potatoes, and UNESO Heritage Site churches. Like the other vegetables—cooked in a hole in the ground churches on the island, the Church of Rilan lined with rocks. As the meal is cooking, we’ll features unique wooden architecture that help prepare a few popular local snacks, like blends European and Latin American styles. milcaos (potato pancakes), chochoca (potato It also boasts a bright blue roof. Then, we’ll dough cooked over the fire on a stick), and continue our tour of town, pausing to visit a chapalele (potato dumplings). After covering local store or perhaps the town fire station. the curanto and allowing our food to cook, we’ll Then, around 10:30am, Raul will take us to then take a brief tour of Raul’s boat-building his home, which he shares with his wife Ilse. workshop and the family’s smokehouse, giving The pair have been married for more than 30 us an even deeper glimpse into our hosts’ years and together have raised three children. daily routine. While officially retired, Raul is an artisanal boatbuilder, and both he and Ilse work in their

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26 Lunch: Around 1pm, we’ll uncover the curanto Day 11 Puñihuil Wildlife Reserve • Fly to and sit down to lunch with our hosts, enjoying Punta Arenas the flavor of the local specialties we helped • Destination: Punta Arenas to make. Intimate experiences like this are possible because of our small group size, which • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch allows us to talk with our hosts, ask questions • Accommodations: Cabo de Hornos Hotel about their lives, and form connections. or similar Breakfast: Served in the hotel beginning at As we dine, we might discuss the effect a new 7am, featuring Chilean dishes. bridge project might have on the lifestyles of Chiloé. The goal of the project is to facilitate Morning: We’ll begin our final morning in travel between the island and the mainland. Chiloé around 8:30am as we drive about two However, many islanders worry the increased hours with our luggage to the Puñihuil Wildlife traffic will increase pollution and alter Reserve. There, we’ll board small boats if the long-cherished island traditions. weather permits and sail out to observe the wildlife who call this reserve home. We’ll search Afternoon: We’ll wrap up lunch around for Humboldt and Magellanic penguins as well 2:30pm. But before leaving Raul and Ilse’s as sea otters, sea lions, seals, and a variety home, we have time for one more activity: of marine birds, perhaps chatting with local rayuela. This traditional Chilean game is similar fishermen about the menagerie around us. to bocce or horseshoes: a player throws a tejo (or small disk) and tries to land it within a Lunch: In a local restaurant in Puñihuil certain target. Raul and Isle will be happy to around noon. show us how to play. Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll continue our Around 3pm, we’ll say farewell to our new drive around 1pm to Puerto Montt Airport friends and return to Castro, arriving at our and arrive in time for our 2-hour flight later hotel around 4:15pm. You’ll then have the this afternoon to Punta Arenas. We’ll arrive remainder of the day free to explore. in Punta Arenas around 6:45pm and drive about 30 minutes by bus to our hotel. We’ll Dinner: On your own. Perhaps you’ll seek out check in around 7:15pm and receive our room some of the island’s excellent seafood served assignments. Depending on where you stay, along Castro’s waterfront. your hotel may feature such amenities as an Evening: The evening is yours to continue your on-site restaurant, bar, and sauna. Typical independent discoveries or relax at the hotel. rooms may include cable TV, Internet access, Perhaps you’ll take advantage of some of the and a private bath. hotel’s amenities. Dinner: Enjoy dinner on your own; locals recommend seeking out the seasonal centolla (king crab) or trying a local restaurant owned by descendants of this area’s original Croatian immigrants.

Evening: The rest of the evening is yours to make independent discoveries in Punta Areas.

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27 Freedom To Explore: During your time in Punta Day 12 Punta Arenas • Conversation with a Arenas, you have the freedom to explore this Kawésqar local bustling southern port city on your own during • Destination: Punta Arenas your free time. Below are a few recommended options for independent explorations: • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner • Accommodations: Cabo de Hornos Hotel • Visit the Regional Museum of Magallanes: or similar Located in the palace of the family of Brown Breakfast: Served in the hotel beginning at Menedez, the museum features historical 7am, featuring Chilean dishes. collections of furniture and objects of the Belle Epoque era. Built in 1903, the palace Morning: Around 10am we’ll gather at the was declared a national historical monument hotel and set out for a 3-hour tour of Punta in 1974 and the property was donated as a Arenas, a bustling port overlooking the Strait museum in 1983. of Magellan, with a local guide. Founded in • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk. 1848, Punta Arenas became prominent in • Hours: 10:30am-2pm, Wednesday-Friday. the late 19th century because of its sheep • Cost: Free. and wool industry and the discovery of gold nearby. Along the way, we’ll see the memorial • Discover pre-Colombian cultures at the to explorer Ferdinand Magellan at the Plaza Salesian Museum: Created in 1893 by the Muñoz Gamero as well as the Museuo Nao Salesian missioners, the museum shows Victoria, which showcases a life-sized replica of the different cultures, flora, and fauna of Magellan’s expedition ship. the region. The museum covers over 18,000 square feet across four levels. Lunch: Around 12:30pm enjoy lunch on • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute walk. your own—your Trip Experience Leader can • Hours: 10am-12:30pm and 3pm-5pm, recommend local restaurants to try. There is an Tuesday-Saturday. abundance of fresh seafood options; perhaps • Cost: About $5 USD. you’ll tuck into some hearty conger eel soup. • Pick up a local souvenir at the Artisans Afternoon: The remainder of the afternoon is Market: Regional artisans gather here to sell yours to make independent explorations. You their products at the only market in the area, may choose to stroll along the busy pier to which includes a fish market. watch ships arriving to and departing from the • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk. remote fjords or visit the artisan shops off the • Hours: 10:30am-5pm, Monday-Saturday. main square that sell handmade woolen crafts • Cost: Free. and locally-produced chocolates. At around 5:15pm, we’ll gather in a private room at a nearby restaurant for an in-depth discussion about the native people of Chilean Patagonia: the Kawésqar. A local member of the community will come to speak with us about the goal of preserving their people’s native history and traditions, and the struggles that go

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28 along with making sure their legacy continues located in the heart of the park, around 3:30pm. to be celebrated, especially as there are only 12 Depending on where we stay, our Patagonian full-blood Kawésqar alive today. lodge may feature views of the Grey Glacier and an on-site restaurant. Typical rooms may Dinner: Around 6:30pm, we’ll enjoy a selection include a private bath, safe, and telephone. of regional cuisine. We’ll have about an hour to relax before setting Evening: The evening is yours to relax or out around 4:30pm on our first elective hike led choose to have a nightcap with fellow travelers by our Trip Experience Leader and a local guide at the hotel bar. along the shores of Lago Grey, where gigantic blue icebergs rest against sandy beaches and Day 13 Overland to Torres del Paine the Grey Glacier stretches into the distance National Park • Hike near Lago Grey through the towering peaks of the surrounding • Destination: Torres del Paine mountains. As an experienced naturalist, our • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Trip Experience Leader will help to identify the region’s varied flora and fauna. Herds of • Accommodations: Hotel Lago Grey or similar guanaco make their homes along the trail’s Activity Note: We’ll be traveling overland path, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for around six hours by bus from Punta Arenas to these llama-like creatures. Our hike will last Torres del Paine, with stops along the way. around two hours, after which point we’ll head back to the bus and to our hotel. Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at 7am, featuring Chilean dishes. Dinner: Around 7:30pm, we’ll gather for dinner at our hotel featuring Chilean dishes. Morning: We depart our hotel around 8am and head overland by bus to Torres del Paine, Evening: The evening is yours to relax or have a widely considered to be South America’s finest nightcap at the hotel restaurant. and most beautiful national park—and is one of the most remote places in the world. We’ll Day 14 Explore Torres del Paine spend two nights here, giving us time to hike National Park winding trails over rippling currents; witness the ostrich-like rhea (known locally as nandu), • Destination: Torres del Paine condor, fox, and other wildlife protected by this • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner UNESCO Biosphere Reserve site; and take in • Accommodations: Hotel Lago Grey or similar the landscapes of rugged mountains rising over Activity Note: Today will be an active day mirror-smooth lakes and fields. featuring two hikes over uneven trails lasting Lunch: Around noon, we’ll stop at a scenic up to five hours total. Travelers who do not viewpoint for a boxed lunch of sandwiches, wish to participate in the hikes may have the chocolate, and nuts before continuing on to our day at leisure. destination. You can choose to enjoy your boxed Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at 7am lunch at your leisure. featuring Chilean dishes. Afternoon: Around 2pm, we’ll arrive at the Morning: Around 9am, we’ll set off to continue entrance of Torres del Paine National Park. exploring Torres del Paine with our Trip We’ll continue driving until we reach our lodge Experience Leader today with a duo of included

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29 hikes. On our first hike starting around 10am, Morning: Around 8am, we’ll depart Torres we’ll set off to Salto Grande, a rushing waterfall del Paine National Park by bus, with a stop for set between Lago Nordenskjold and Lago sightseeing and photo opportunities en route. Pehoe. We’ll witness the awesome power of We’ll pass by the soaring mountains, granite the falls and have a chance to spot some of the towers, and blue glaciers that make this region indigenous wildlife—like the guanacos that feed a true natural wonderland. on the brush and grasses by the riverbank. Lunch: Around 11:30am at a local restaurant in Lunch: Around noon, we’ll take a break to enjoy Cerro Castillo. a boxed lunch of your choice of wrap sandwich, Afternoon: Around 12:30pm, we cross the a muffin, nuts, and fruit while taking in our border from Chile back into Argentina. Once scenic surroundings. we are in Argentina, we’ll change buses and Afternoon: Around 1:30pm, our second hike continue overland for around five hours to will take us through undulating plains and El Calafate. We’ll arrive at our hotel around beneath the towering Paine Massif, one of 6:30pm and check in. Depending on where we the most recognizable mountain profiles in stay, our hotel may feature amenities such as a the world. bar, restaurant, and wireless Internet. Typical rooms may include a TV, safe, and private Once our hike wraps up around 3:30pm, we’ll bath. You’ll have about an hour to settle in and head back to the hotel by bus. freshen up. Dinner: Around 7:30pm at our hotel, featuring Dinner: We’ll have dinner at our hotel around a selection of regional Chilean fare. 7:30pm featuring Argentinian dishes. Evening: The remainder of the evening is yours Evening: The remainder of the evening is yours to relax or make independent explorations. to relax or have a nightcap in the hotel bar. Your Trip Experience Leader can provide recommendations. Freedom To Explore: During your time in El Calafate, you have the freedom to explore on Day 15 Overland to El Calafate, Argentina your own during your free time. Below are some recommended options for independent • Destination: El Calafate explorations: • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Accommodations: Kau Yatun Hotel or similar • Go bird watching at Laguna Nimez: Enjoy a leisurely stroll along the 1.5-mile trail Activity Note: We will travel overland by bus through this private nature reserve which is around ten hours from Torres del Paine to El home to about 80 species of birds. This area Calafate, with sightseeing stops along the way. is close to Lake Argentino and is a great place Our passports will be checked as we cross the border from Chile to Argentina. This process can take up to a few hours, depending on the number of people crossing the border.

Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at 7am, featuring Chilean dishes.

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30 to spot flamingos, lapwings, ibis, and others. by a giant ice cap (the largest continental ice Plan to spend between one and two hours extension after Antarctica and Greenland) that here in search of the reserve’s bird life. begins in the Andes and occupies well over a • How to get there: A 20- to 25-minute walk third of the park’s total area. or 5- to 10-minute taxi ride, about $2 USD During our explorations led by our Trip one way. Experience Leader, we’ll discover the Perito • Hours: 9am-8pm, daily. Moreno Glacier, which towers nearly 200 • Cost: About $9 USD. feet above Lake Argentino. It is named after • Learn about Patagonia’s famed glaciers and Francisco Moreno, a 19th-century Argentinean ice fields at the Glaciarium: The glaciological explorer who helped resolve his country’s interpretation center is dedicated to the study border dispute with neighboring Chile. The of Southern Patagonia’s ice. Built in 2011, this constant, cyclical movement of Perito Moreno’s unique museum features multimedia exhibits ice mass often forces the glacier to “calve”—an and a theater for screening documentaries. iceberg “birthing” process in which smaller Perhaps you’ll relax and chill between chunks of ice fracture and break off from the exhibits in the Glaciobar, a bar constructed glacier to thunderous accompaniment. This entirely from ice. spectacle can occur at any time, so we’ll keep • How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute taxi our fingers crossed that we’ll be lucky enough ride. to witness this phenomenon. Surrounding the • Hours: 11am-7pm, daily. glacier are wooden platforms with railings, • Cost: About $13 USD. providing you with various angles at which to view the glacier.

Day 16 Explore Los Glaciares Lunch: Around noon in the park, we’ll enjoy National Park a boxed lunch among the natural splendor of • Destination: El Calafate Perito Moreno. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Afternoon: Around 2:30pm, we’ll continue our • Accommodations: Kau Yatun Hotel or similar exploration of the Perito Moreno Glacier with a Activity Note: Today we will travel overland by 1-hour boat ride that takes us to the southern bus around two hours to reach Los Glaciares face of the glacier, where we’ll enjoy another National Park, typically with a stop along the perspective while cruising Argentino Lake. way for observing wildlife. Around 3:30pm, we’ll then make the 1.5-hour drive back to El Calafate. The remainder of the Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at afternoon is free. 7am, featuring Argentinian options. Dinner: On your own—your Trip Experience Morning: Around 9am, we’ll embark Leader can recommend local restaurants. upon a full-day excursion to Los Glaciares Try some of the region’s fresh trout, perhaps National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage followed by a dessert made with calafate berry, Site. We’ll travel overland by bus around two a dark blue-black berry native to Patagonia. hours to reach the park. Los Glaciares is the second-largest national park in Argentina and comprises more than 1,700 square miles and nearly 50 large glaciers. These glaciers are fed

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31 Evening: The evening is yours to retire to your Day 18 Parana Delta tour • Return to U.S. room, or perhaps you’ll head out to a local pub or begin post-trip extension or cocktail bar to toast to the discoveries made • Destination: Buenos Aires in Patagonia. • Included Meals: Breakfast Day 17 Fly to Buenos Aires Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at 7am, featuring Argentinian dishes. • Destination: Buenos Aires • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Morning: Around 8:45am, we’ll depart by • Accommodations: Argenta Tower Hotel motorcoach for the 20-minute transfer to or similar Recoleta Cemetery, the final resting place of Eva Perón, the country’s beloved former First Breakfast: Served at the hotel beginning at Lady and an outspoken advocate for workers’ 7am, featuring Argentinian dishes. rights. We’ll spend about an hour here as our Morning: Enjoy a Farewell Briefing with your Trip Experience Leader discusses Eva Perón’s Trip Experience Leader around 9:30am. Check life and lasting legacy. out of the hotel by 10am, and drive about 30 Then, we’ll depart the cemetery by bus for minutes to the airport for our 12pm flight to a 45-minute transfer, where we will take a Buenos Aires. 1-hour boat ride on the Rio de la Plata into the Lunch: On your own. You may choose to Parana Delta, an exotic landscape just half an grab something at the airport to eat during hour from the city that seems a million miles your flight. away. Traditional houses on stilts (pilotes) are surrounded by lush subtropical vegetation and Afternoon: We’ll arrive in the Argentine capital built on islands that are separated by a twisting around 3:30pm and transfer by bus to our hotel, maze of waterways. This scenic area is one of arriving around 5pm for check in, at which Latin America’s most unique environments. point you’ll have about an hour to settle in. Lunch: On your own. Perhaps you’ll try some Then around 6:15pm, we’ll board our bus and Porteño-style pizza. Argentina was settled drive about 30 minutes to a nearby restaurant largely by Italian immigrants; over time, for our last dinner as a small group. Argentinian pizza has developed its own unique Dinner: Around 6:45pm, we’ll enjoy a Farewell flavor—with a thicker crust and lots of cheese. Dinner at a local restaurant where we’ll toast Afternoon: After our tour around noon, we’ll to our memories and savor bife de chorizo, a return to our hotel and have about 2.5 hours to traditional Argentinian sirloin strip steak. make final discoveries. Evening: We’ll depart for our hotel around Later this afternoon (depending on your flight 8:30pm, arriving around 9pm. The rest of the time), you’ll head out to the airport by bus for evening is yours to relax or make independent your return flight home, or to Lima to begin discoveries during your last night in this South your New! Peruvian Discovery: Seaside Lima, American port city. the Lost City of Machu Picchu & Colonial Cuzco post-trip extension. Your motorcoach ride to the airport will be approximately one hour and 15 minutes. If you are taking the Iguassu

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32 Falls: Thundering Cascades of Argentina & Brazil post-trip extension, you’ll have the rest of the day free and remain in Buenos Aires tonight.

END YOUR ADVENTURE WITH AN OPTIONAL POST-TRIP EXTENSION 4 nights in Iguassu Falls: Thundering Cascades of Argentina & Brazil

Day 1 Buenos Aires Day 4 Experience Iguassu Falls in Argentina • Optional Great Adventure tour Day 2 Fly to Iguassu • Discover the Falls in Brazil Day 5 Fly to Buenos Aires • Return to U.S. Day 3 Explore the Jungle • Visit an indigenous community

OR 6 nights in Peruvian Discovery: Seaside Lima, the Lost City of Machu Picchu & Colonial Cuzco

Day 1 Buenos Aires • Fly to Lima, Peru Day 5 Machu Picchu • Train to Ollantaytambo • Transfer to Cuzco Day 2 Lima • Explore Huaca Pucllana ruins Day 6 Explore Cuzco Day 3 Lima • Fly to Cuzco • Transfer to Ollantaytambo • Train to Machu Picchu Day 7 Cuzco • Return to U.S. Day 4 Explore Machu Picchu

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33 OPTIONAL TOURS

During your trip you will be able to book optional tours directly with your Trip Experience Leader. He or she will ask you to confirm the payment for these tours by filling out a payment form. Optional tours can only be purchased with a credit or debit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards. We also accept Visa and MasterCard debit cards, but it must be a debit card that allows you to sign for purchases.

In order to correctly process these charges, there can be a delay of 2-3 months from the date of your return for the charges to be posted to your account. Therefore we ask that you use a card that will not expire in the 2-3 months following your return.

Please note: Optional tour prices are listed in U.S. dollar estimates determined at the time of publication and are subject to change. Optional tours may vary.

Limay River Float (Day 6 $80 per person)

Experience the natural splendor of northern Patagonia from a different point of view by floating along Bariloche’s most scenic river. Flowing from Lake Nahuel Huapi, the tranquil Limay River provides our small group with a perfect path along which to capture up-close views of the pristine wilderness and wildlife of the steppe from the comfort of our raft. Lunch is included for those who join this optional tour.

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34 PRE-TRIP Santiago & Easter Island’s Sacred Sites

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Roundtrip airfare between Santiago and » 10 meals—6 breakfasts, 2 lunches, Easter Island and airfare from Santiago to and 2 dinners Buenos Aires » 5 small group activities » Accommodations for 3 nights in Santiago at » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip the Crowne Plaza Santiago or similar, and Experience Leader 3 nights on Easter Island at the Taha Tai » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and or similar luggage porters » All transfers

PRE-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Explore historic Santiago, then venture to Easter Island to discover its rich Polynesian heritage, dramatic volcanoes, brilliant beaches, and welcoming people. Above all, ponder the mystery of the nearly 900 large stone heads—called moai—that stand silently in clusters scattered across the island’s landscape.

Day 1 Depart U.S. hotel’s amenities may feature an outdoor pool, fitness center, restaurant, and lounge. Typical • Destination: Chile rooms may include air conditioning, in-room Depart the U.S. this evening for an overnight safe, TV, and private bath. flight to Chile. Lunch: On your own—your Trip Experience Day 2 Arrive in Santiago, Chile Leader can make recommendations. You may want to try humitas, similar to Mexican tamales. • Destination: Santiago • Accommodations: Crowne Plaza Santiago Afternoon: Around 4pm, we’ll meet our Trip or similar Experience Leader at the hotel to embark on a 30-minute orientation walk around the Morning: You’ll arrive in Santiago this morning area, pointing out ATMs, banks, restaurants, (depending on your flight time); most flights pharmacies, and other important points of arrive between 6:30am and 10:15am. An O.A.T. interest. Following our walk, you have the representative will meet you at the airport remainder of the afternoon to explore on and escort you to your hotel in Santiago (an your own. approximate 1-hour motorcoach ride). You’ll check in and have time to relax or have lunch Dinner: On your own. Perhaps you’ll try one of at a local restaurant before this afternoon’s the restaurants your Trip Experience Leader activities. Depending on where we stay, our pointed out on our walk, or you may consider

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

35 dining in the Patronato neighborhood. Home Dinner: Around 6:30pm, enjoy a Welcome to the city’s community of expats, Patronato Dinner with our fellow travelers and Trip is known for its internationally-influenced Experience Leader at a local restaurant restaurant scene. featuring Chilean and regional dishes.

Evening: The evening is yours to make Evening: Following dinner, we’ll walk back discoveries in Santiago. Perhaps you’ll seek out to the hotel, arriving around 8:30pm. The some of the region’s famed wine at one of the remainder of the evening is yours to discover city’s numerous wine bars. Santiago’s nightlife or retire to your room to rest before tomorrow’s discoveries. Day 3 Explore Santiago • Welcome Dinner • Destination: Santiago Day 4 Fly to Easter Island • Visit Orongo & • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Rano Kao Volcano • Accommodations: Crowne Plaza Santiago • Destination: Easter Island or similar • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel • Accommodations: Taha Tai Hotel or similar beginning at 6am, featuring Chilean and Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel American options. beginning at 6am serving Chilean dishes.

Morning: Around 9am, we’ll meet our Trip Morning: We’ll transfer to the airport around Experience Leader at the hotel lobby then 6:45am and arrive around 30 minutes later. embark on a walking tour through the streets We’ll check in for our flight, depart around of this historic capital city with a local guide. 9:30am, and fly across the southeastern Pacific Home to a third of Chile’s 17 million people, Ocean to Easter Island, so named by a Dutch Santiago sits at the confluence of the Mapocho sailor who landed on the island on Easter and Maipo rivers, surrounded on all sides by Sunday, 1722. Today, the island—also known Andean peaks—a dramatic setting for a capital as Rapa Nui—is home to around 5,000 people, that has witnessed a remarkable history, from including 3,000 Rapa Nuians, the Polynesian settlement by conquistadors in 1541 to the people whose ancestors were responsible for Marxist, military, and democratic governments carving the moai—giant stone sculptures that of the 20th century. During our 4-hour grace the island’s tropical landscape. These exploration of Santiago, we’ll get a true taste of immense sculptures—and the isolated culture the city as we take a metro ride, as well as visit that created them—have earned Rapa Nui a La Moneda Government Palace and Plaza de place in the imaginations of people the world Armas. Our tour will conclude in the vicinity of over, as well as its designation as a UNESCO many local shops and restaurants. World Heritage Site.

Lunch: On your own—your Trip Experience Our flight lands around 1:30pm and we drive Leader can make recommendations. around 15 minutes to our hotel to check in. Depending on where we stay, our hotel may Afternoon: Your afternoon is free for your own feature a swimming pool, tennis court, bar, and discoveries. We’ll reconvene at the hotel around dining room. Typical rooms may include air 6pm and walk about 15 minutes to a local conditioning, safe, mini bar, and private bath. restaurant.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

36 We’ll have around 1.5 hours of free time to have tires, 30,000 aluminum cans, and 20,000 lunch, then relax or explore the island before glass bottles. The building is designed in the our discoveries begin. shape of a flower with eight petals.

Lunch: On your own. Your Trip Experience • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute taxi Leader will be happy to recommend a local spot. ride, about $4 USD one way. Seafood options are plentiful; perhaps you’ll try • Hours: 10am-3pm, Monday-Friday. tunu ahí, fresh fish cooked on hot stones. • Cost: About $8 USD. • Take in a Varua Ora Polynesian dance Afternoon: Around 3:30pm, we’ll set out for show: Get a true taste of the island with an one of the most scenic spots on the island. At hour-long dance show and traditional body Rano Kao Volcano, we’ll view the freshwater painting showcase at a local restaurant. Varua lake that has formed in the crater’s depths Ora was founded in 2010 as a local academy and explore Orongo’s ceremonial center on to promote and honor the traditions of Rapa the crater’s edge. This place was one of the Nui through dance performances and has principal sites of the birdman cult, which is participated in several international festivals. immortalized by the stone carvings of birdmen into rock. From Rano Kao, we’ll return to our • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk. hotel around 6:30pm. • Hours: 7pm, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Dinner: Around 7pm at our hotel featuring a • Cost: About $75 USD. selection of regional island fare. • Learn about Moai and Manu Tara culture Evening: The remainder of the evening is yours at the Museum Hanga Roa: This museum to relax or make independent discoveries. houses a collection of objects relating to Perhaps you’ll enjoy a cocktail at the hotel’s different periods of Easter Island’s history, lounge with fellow travelers. including carving tools, a female moai, and the original “eye” of the moai. Discovered in Freedom To Explore: During your time on 1978, the eye is made from white coral and Easter Island, you have the freedom to explore red volcanic rock. this South Pacific paradise on your own during • How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute walk your free time. Below are a few recommended or 5- to 10-minute taxi ride, about $4 USD options for independent explorations: one way. • Visit the TOKI Music and Art School: Located • Hours: 9:30am-5:30pm, Tuesday-Friday in Rapa Nui, this school provides music and and 9:30am-12:30pm, Saturday and dance lessons to more than 120 kids to foster Sunday. and protect local culture and artistic tradition. • Cost: Free. The school was founded in 2012 offering classes in the community members’ homes Day 5 Discover moai at Ahu Tongariki, Te or a local parish. With the help of 400 volun- Pito Kura & Anakena Beach teers, a sustainable school was constructed • Destination: Easter Island using recyclable materials, including 1,500 • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch • Accommodations: Taha Tai Hotel or similar

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel beginning at 8am, featuring local dishes.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

37 Morning: We depart around 9am by Day 6 Visit Ahu Akivi • Sunset at motorcoach for a full-day tour of the island led Tahai Beach by our Trip Experience Leader and a local guide. • Destination: Easter Island We’ll set out to discover the island’s famed moai, whose origin and meaning have sparked • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch great speculation over the centuries. Nearly 900 • Accommodations: Taha Tai Hotel or similar of these monolithic statues have been found Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel on the island, and it is estimated that each beginning at 8am, featuring regional dishes. one took five or six men one year to carve with hand-held tools. Morning: You’ll have around 3.5 hours this morning to make your own discoveries around We’ll follow the footsteps of an ancient the island. Perhaps you’ll explore the Peninsula civilization to various ahus—sacred sites Poikeat at the eastern end of the island. The where several moai stand. At Ahu Vaihu, we’ll high plateau backs up to the extinct Maunga spend around 45 minutes viewing the moai Pu A Katiki volcano and is bound by steep cliffs in an unrestored state, before we continue to and the Grotto of the Virgins. Around 12:30pm Ahu Tongariki’s collection of 15 restored moai we’ll gather back at the hotel to stroll to lunch carved from the quarries of nearby Rano Raraku together—about a 30-minute walk. Volcano. We’ll explore the area for around three hours. Lunch: Around 1pm at a local restaurant featuring regional cuisine. Lunch: Around 1pm, we’ll stop to enjoy a boxed lunch of chicken, rice, salad, and fruit after Afternoon: Around 3:30pm, we’ll depart by visiting the moai. bus for a 30-minute transfer to Ahu Akivi, one of the only inland ahus on the island, whose Afternoon: Around 2pm, we’ll continue the seven moai stand in a line facing the ocean tour to discover Te Pito Kura, which today lies and (during spring and autumn) the sunset. on the ground, but—at 32 feet in length—is This evening, we’ll enjoy watching the sunset considered the largest moai ever erected on an ourselves over the moai at Tahai Beach before ahu. At 2:30pm, we’ll explore Anakena Beach, returning to our hotel around 7pm. where the first Polynesian settlers are believed to have landed and where we’ll find six more Dinner: On your own—your Trip Experience moai. We’ll spend around two hours here. Leader can recommend local restaurants to try. Perhaps you’ll take the opportunity to try We depart for our hotel around around 4:30pm, Easter Island’s ceviche, a popular staple made arriving around 5pm, and you’ll have the with raw fish and coconut milk. remainder of the afternoon on your own. Evening: You may retire to your room to relax Dinner: On your own. Perhaps you’ll find a or enjoy your final night on Easter Island local restaurant at which to dine al fresco by the making independent discoveries. water this evening.

Evening: The evening is yours to make independent discoveries or relax poolside at the hotel.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

38 Day 7 Fly to Santiago • Destination: Santiago • Included Meals: Breakfast • Accommodations: Crowne Plaza Santiago or similar

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel beginning at 8am featuring local dishes.

Morning: You’ll have just under four hours to enjoy your final morning on Easter Island on your own. Perhaps you’ll visit the Parque Nacional Rapa Nui on the western side of the island. Like an open-air museum, this park features archaeological sites and scenic hikes.

Lunch: On your own. You may want to try tuna patties, Easter Island–style empanadas filled with tuna, cheese, and tomato.

Afternoon: Around 12:45pm, we’ll depart the hotel and transfer by bus 15- to 20-minutes to the airport for our 3pm flight back to Santiago.

Dinner: A light dinner is included on the flight to Santiago.

Evening: We’ll land just before 10pm and transfer to our hotel by 11pm to check in and get some rest before our flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina tomorrow.

Day 8 Fly to Buenos Aires • Destination: Buenos Aires • Included Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel beginning at 6am, featuring hot and cold options.

Morning: Around 7am, we’ll transfer 30 minutes to the airport for our 9:30am flight to Buenos Aires to begin our Chile & Argentina: The Andes to Patagonia adventure.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

39 PRE-TRIP Northwestern Argentina: Salta’s Andean Traditions & the Canyons of Cafayate

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Roundtrip airfare from Salta to Buenos Aires » 10 meals: 5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, » Accommodations for 1 night in Buenos Aires and 3 dinners at Argenta Tower Hotel or similar, 2 nights » 6 small group activities in Salta at Alejandro I Hotel or similar, and » Services of our local Trip Experience Leader 2 nights in Cafayate at Patios de Cafayate » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and Wine Hotel or similar luggage porters » All transfers

PRE-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Day 1 Depart U.S. Afternoon: Our Trip Experience Leader will take us on a brief orientation this afternoon to Depart the U.S. today on your flight to Buenos acquaint us with the neighborhood surrounding Aires, Argentina. our hotel.

Day 2 Arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina Dinner: On your own. Argentina is famous for steak, and there are hundreds of parrillas • Destination: Buenos Aires (barbecues) in Buenos Aires serving up the • Accommodations: Argenta Tower Hotel country’s signature dish. Ask your Trip or similar Experience Leader which one he or she Morning: Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, you’ll recommends. be met at the airport by an O.A.T. representative Evening: On your own. You might want to and assisted with your transfer to our hotel. venture out for a stroll along Buenos Aires’s Depending on where we stay, our hotel may elegant, tree-lined avenues or seek out the be equipped with a rooftop pool, fitness beloved local libation, Fernet and Coke. Or center, spa, and on-site restaurant. Your simply relax at the hotel after your flight. air-conditioned room will likely include cable TV, a safe, minibar, and a private bathroom with a shower.

Lunch: On your own. Ask your Trip Experience Leader for recommendations.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

40 Day 3 Buenos Aires • Fly to Salta Day 4 Explore Salta • Destination: Salta • Destination: Salta • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner • Included Meals: Breakfast • Accommodations: Alejandro I Hotel • Accommodations: Alejandro I Hotel or similar or similar

Breakfast: Served at the hotel, featuring an Breakfast: Served at the hotel, featuring an array of Argentine and familiar options. array of Argentine and familiar options.

Morning: After breakfast, we’ll transfer to Morning: After breakfast, we’ll set off to the airport for our 2.5-hour flight to Salta. explore Salta. Founded in 1582 by the Spanish Located at the foothills of the Andes, Salta sits Army, Salta today retains much of its original on the dividing line between Argentina’s fertile colonial charm, earning it the nickname Salta eastern region and the rugged, sunbaked desert la Linda (“Salta the beautiful”). The city served that snakes along the country’s western border. an important function as a stop on the gold The city itself is surrounded by lush mountains trade route from Lima to the Buenos Aires port and is famous for its temperate weather. during the Spanish Empire. But long before the Spanish came here, Salta was inhabited Lunch: Our flight departs around lunchtime, so by ancient Inca and other Andean indigenous you may want to purchase a meal or a snack to groups, and their traditional way of life is very enjoy en route to Salta. much alive here—in fact, Salta is one of the few Afternoon: Upon arrival in Salta, we’ll transfer places in Argentina where you can hear people to the hotel where we’ll spend the next two speaking Quechua. nights. Depending on where we stay, our hotel We’ll begin our morning’s explorations may feature a swimming pool and sauna. with a walking tour of the historic colonial Typical rooms may include wireless internet, a neighborhood. Salta’s epicenter is the Plaza minibar, flatscreen TV, and a private bathroom. 9 de Julio, a tree-lined square bordered by After joining our Trip Experience Leader on an graceful arcades built in the Spanish colonial orientation walk, we’ll make our way to the style. The plaza is a popular place for Salteños top of San Bernardo Hill via cable car. From (as the locals are known) to hang out at any there, we’ll take in sweeping views of Salta’s time of day, but it particularly comes alive red-roofed cityscape and the mountains in at night and on Saturdays, when artisanal the distance. The forest-clad foothills of these vendors set up their stalls for a thriving craft mountains are home to a spectacular array of market. We’ll stroll from the plaza past the bird life. We’ll see if we can spot a few local rose-colored Cathedral to San Francisco species when we visit a private bird reserve late Church, easily recognizable by its ornate red this afternoon. and yellow facade, and venture inside to see its impressive altar. From there, we’ll venture Dinner: At a local restaurant, featuring to the San Miguel Market, a busy indoor Argentine specialties. marketplace where stalls overflow with the bounty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats, Evening: The evening is free to do as you’d and locals from all walks of life come to do like. Ask your Trip Experience Leader for recommendations.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

41 their daily shopping. This is a great opportunity Day 5 Salta • Overland to Cafayate to mix and mingle with vendors and fellow • Empanada-making experience • shoppers. Hike La Yesera Our last stop this morning is the Museum of • Destination: Cafayate High Altitude Archaeology, whose wonderful • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner collection of Incan and pre-Incan artifacts • Accommodations: Patios de Cafayate Wine sheds light on the history and culture of Hotel or similar these long-ago civilizations. But perhaps the Breakfast: At the hotel. most famous items in the museum are the 500-year-old bodies of three Incan children. Morning: We’ll begin our drive to Cafayate Known as the Children of Llullaillaco, their after breakfast this morning. While not as bodies were found frozen atop nearby Mount internationally renowned as Malbec-soaked Llullaillaco, where the extreme cold and aridity Mendoza to the south, Cafayate has carved naturally mummified them. Witnessing their out a reputation as one of the top wine regions bodies, which are in pristine condition, is equal in Argentina. The draw here is Torrontés, a parts eerie and fascinating. dry-yet-fruity varietal that’s only produced in Argentina. While wine may be the local star, the Lunch: On your own. The city is believed landscape that surrounds Cafayate is equally as to be the original home of the empanada, a enticing. meat-and-veggie filled dumpling. It seems only fitting to visit El Patio de la Empanada—a Located near the southwestern corner of the large food hall serving up many different styles Salta province, Cafayate is the gateway to the and flavors of these savory pastries—during Argentine desert. As we make our way south, your time here. the scenery will shift perceptibly—from the fertile farmlands near Salta, through deep-red Afternoon: We’ll re-convene after lunch to gorges and brush-covered hills, and finally discuss a controversial topic that’s currently to the dusty, sunburnt canyons of Quebrada at the forefront of locals’ minds. Your Trip de las Conchas (Shell’s Gorge) on the outskirts Experience Leader will inform you of the topic; of Cafayate. But the desert here is far from a if you’d prefer not to participate, you may desolate wasteland: Our route will be peppered choose to visit a handicraft market located just with some of the most dramatic views northern a few blocks from our hotel instead. Argentina has to offer, including soaring rock Dinner: On your own. Daring diners might like formations and jagged purple mountains. to try the regional specialty, llama; Salta’s Lunch: At a local restaurant en route to restaurants serve llama in a variety of ways, Cafayate. Prior to our meal, we’ll enjoy a from grilled and carpaccio to llama stroganoff. hands-on empanada-making experience, Evening: You are free to continue enjoying the where we’ll learn how to make these savory evening at leisure or retire to your room to rest. treats beloved by Argentinians.

Afternoon: We’ll continue making our way to Cafayate after lunch, stopping along the way to take in some of the more dramatic attractions that line our route—including the awe-inspiring Curva del 69 and the Anfiteatro

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

42 (Amphitheater), a gaping, U-shaped hole in impacts the flavor of the wine. The vineyards the cliffside. We’ll also enjoy a 1.5-hour walk here are all located at elevations ranging from through La Yesera to witness our colorful 5,000 to almost 10,000 feet. Grapes grown at surroundings up close. these high altitudes are exposed to greater sunlight, resulting in thicker skins and more Upon arrival in Cafayate late this afternoon, intense wines. (For comparison, Europe’s we’ll check in to our hotel and receive our highest vineyards sit about 4,000 feet about room assignments. Depending on where sea level.) we stay, our hotel will likely include a pool, spa, and an on-site restaurant and winery. Lunch: On your own. There are several Your air-conditioned room will likely feature restaurant options near Cafayate’s main complimentary wireless Internet access, square; ask your Trip Experience Leader which satellite TV, safe, and private bathroom with one he or she prefers. For a sweet after-lunch a shower. treat, you may want to try a scoop of Malbec or Torrantés ice cream from one of the local shops. Dinner: At the hotel. Afternoon: A shuttle will bring us back to the Evening: On your own. You may choose to hotel after lunch, and you’ll enjoy a few hours enjoy a glass of wine to celebrate our arrival to relax or explore the grounds. in Cafayate, or go for a stroll through the vineyards. Prior to dinner, we’ll re-convene for a tour of the on-site winery, El Esteco. After learning Day 6 Explore Cafayate • Visit Museo de la about the wine-making process, we’ll have Vid & Vino • Winery tour & tasting the opportunity to sample a few of the resulting wines. • Destination: Cafayate • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Dinner: At the hotel. • Accommodations: Patios de Cafayate Wine Evening: On your own. You may choose to Hotel or similar enjoy a glass of your favorite wine from today’s Breakfast: Served at the hotel, featuring an tasting, or return to your room to prepare for array of Argentine and familiar options. our transfer to Buenos Aires tomorrow.

Morning: Our discoveries in Cafayate begin this Day 7 Cafayate • Overland to Salta • Fly to morning with a walking tour. Along the way, we’ll see the city’s double-domed cathedral, Buenos Aires • Join main adventure stroll through the elegant main plaza, and • Destination: Buenos Aires wander the charming streets, where typical • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch adobe style meets Spanish colonial architecture. Breakfast: At the hotel. Then, we’ll continue on to the Museo de la Vid Morning: We’ll begin making our way to & Vino (Museum of the Vine & Wine), which the airport in Salta very early this morning, houses an array of artifacts that reveal the following the same scenic route that brought us evolution of wine production in the Calchaquí to Cafayate. As the sun rises over the Quebrada Valley, of which Cafayate is a part. The museum de las Conchas, notice how the changing light also features an exhibit about the local impacts the colors of the rock formations and terroir—including how the region’s altitude distant mountains.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

43 Upon arrival at the airport approximately 3 hours later, we’ll check in and board our flight to Buenos Aires, where our main adventure begins.

Lunch: Our flight to Buenos Aires departs around lunch time. We’ll be provided with a boxed lunch to enjoy in flight.

Afternoon: After transferring from the airport to our hotel, the balance of the afternoon is yours.

Dinner/Evening: On your own. Your fellow travelers from our Chile & Argentina: The Andes to Patagonia adventure will arrive at the hotel late this evening.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

44 POST-TRIP Iguassu Falls: Thundering Cascades of Argentina & Brazil

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Roundtrip airfare between Buenos Aires » 3 small group activities and Iguassu » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip » Accommodations for 1 night in Buenos Aires Experience Leader at the Argenta Tower Hotel or similar, and 3 » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and nights in Iguassu at the American Portal del luggage porters Iguazu or similar » All transfers » 8 meals—4 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 3 dinners

POST-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Experience the roaring and rushing cascades of Iguassu Falls. Cross into Brazil for a panoramic view, then witness Iguassu on the Argentinean side—so close that a cool mist washes over you.

Day 1 Buenos Aires Day 2 Fly to Iguassu • Discover the • Destination: Buenos Aires Falls in Brazil • Accommodations: Argenta Tower Hotel • Destination: Iguassu or similar • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Afternoon: After travelers on the main • Accommodations: Amerian Portal del Iguazu adventure return to the U.S., you will have the or similar remainder of the afternoon free in Buenos Aires Activity Note: Today, we’ll cross the border to absorb the sights, sounds, and culture of from Argentina into Brazil where we’ll have the city. our passports stamped, which can take up to a few hours, depending on how many people Dinner: On your own—your Trip Experience are crossing. Leader can provide recommendations. One local dish you may want to try is provoleta, a grilled Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the piece of cheese garnished with oregano, crisped hotel beginning at 6:30am, featuring at the edges, and served with toasted bread. Argentinian dishes.

Morning: Around 7:30am, we’ll depart by bus for our approximate 30-minute transfer to the airport and fly to Iguassu around 9:30am, arriving around 11:15am. We’ll then transfer again by bus around 3.5 hours to our lodge

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

45 in the rain forest. With the help of our local Evening: The remainder of the evening is free naturalist guide, we’ll be sure to spot plenty of to make independent discoveries or relax at interesting flora and fauna along the way. the hotel.

During our transfer, we’ll arrive at the Freedom To Explore: During your time in Argentinian border for migration and customs Iguassu, you have the freedom to explore around 12:45pm. As we cross the border the landscapes and culture of this region on from Argentina into Brazil, we will have our your own during your free time. Below are a passports stamped, which can take up to a few recommended options for independent few hours, depending how many people are explorations: crossing. • Spend time at the Hummingbird Garden: Lunch: Around 1:30pm, on your own upon our Many enthusiastic birders spend most of their arrival at the entrance of the Brazilian side of time at Iguassu National Park for a glimpse Iguassu Park. Your Trip Experience Leader can at unique avian species with the majestic recommend restaurants near the entrance to Iguassu Falls in the background. But many the park. tend to miss the quaint Hummingbird garden of Puerto Iguassu. This private garden allows Afternoon: Around 2:30pm, we’ll drive by bus visitors to sit among the dozens of wild into the park, arriving around 3pm, where we’ll hummingbirds that come from the forest to begin our walking tour of the Brazilian falls feed on sugar water. Bird feeders and several and national park led by a local guide. Located fresh water coolers have been set up along on the border of Argentina and Brazil, the the garden trails to help attract the birds. falls at Iguassu are among the world’s most Depending on the time of year, you might just impressive sights—twice as high as Niagara see finches, doves, and other birds fluttering Falls and 65 feet wider—and have been named about with them. The Hummingbird Garden a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll enjoy is the perfect place to immerse yourself in panoramic views during our walking tour, nature; locals and visitors alike come here for traveling along a stone path through the forest a peaceful reprieve from the bustle of daily that leads to several platforms where we can life and travel. observe the falls from different angles. As we walk, we’ll also see the unique birds and • How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute walk. mammals that thrive in the lush national park • Hours: 8am-7pm, daily. surrounding Iguassu. • Cost: About $6 USD. • Eat like the locals at La Ferinha: Comprising We’ll leave the park around 4:30pm by bus seventy commercial establishments, this and arrive back to our hotel around 6pm to gastronomic fair has offered typical Argentine check in (after re-crossing the border back to products for over fifteen years. Market-goers Argentina). Depending on where we stay, our can find local products such as olives, sausag- hotel may feature a swimming pool, hot tub, es, cheese, wine, dulce de leche, and more, all and restaurant. Typical rooms may include while relaxing in open-air venues which often a view of the Parana and Iguazu rivers and a feature live music entertainment. As the sun private bath.

Dinner: Around 7:30pm, we’ll rejoin our group for our Welcome Dinner at the hotel.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

46 goes down, many stalls can be found putting to tree beneath the dense canopy, and spot out tables and chairs as they open up their brightly-colored lizards as they slither across streetside bars. the jungle floor.

• How to get there: A 20- to 25-minute In the jungle, we’ll visit the Guaraní, a local walk. indigenous community, around 10:30am. We’ll • Hours: 4pm-11pm, daily. have the opportunity to meet with members • Cost: Free. of the group and learn about their history and • Peer into three countries at once at Hito culture, as well as explore the jungle with Tres Fronteras: This area offers a view into them. The Guaraní continue to live a traditional Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay—all from the lifestyle, using medicinal herbs, planting same location. Just west of Puerto Iguassu’s their own crops, and producing local crafts by center, you’ll find locals and visitors strolling hand. We’ll say farewell to the Guaraní around through the area, as well as friendly artisans noon and make our way by bus to a nearby and street musicians that will provide you restaurant. with perspectives on daily life on this side Lunch: At a local restaurant around 12:15pm, of the Falls. Perhaps the best time to visit is where we will have the opportunity to try local during sunrise or sunset, when yellow-or- dishes such as mandioca (or cassava). ange hues can be seen in the sky overlooking the three countries. If you’re visiting in Afternoon: We’ll depart around 2pm by bus the evening, be sure to witness the nightly and return to our hotel around 2:30pm. You’ll lights show. then have the afternoon to explore on your • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk. own. Perhaps you’ll head into Puerto Iguassu, • Hours: 9am-7pm, daily. the town on the Argentinean side of the Falls, • Cost: Free. where you can find a number of dining options and the Mborore Museum, which houses Day 3 Explore the Jungle • Visit an Guaraní artifacts. indigenous community Dinner: At our hotel around 7:30pm, featuring • Destination: Iguassu traditional dishes. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Evening: The remainder of the evening is free • Accommodations: Amerian Portal del Iguazu to continue making discoveries. You may want or similar to head to La Ferinha market to sample some of Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel the picada (snacks) from local vendors. beginning at 7am featuring regional dishes.

Morning: Around 9am, we’ll depart our hotel and drive 30 minutes by bus to the jungle for a 1-hour walk led by a local guide native to the village in and around the jungle. Exploring the jungle on foot allows us to come into intimate contact with its flora and fauna: Hear the call of tropical birds as they wing from tree

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

47 Day 4 Experience Iguassu Falls in from multiple perspectives on this excursion, Argentina • Optional Great Adventure tour beginning with a panoramic motorboat ride along the Sendero Yacaratía trail that winds • Destination: Iguassu through the verdant jungle to the riverside. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Then we’ll board a motorboat and travel • Accommodations: Amerian Portal del Iguazu through the rapids of the Iguassu River Canyon or similar to San Martin Island. We’ll continue on to the Breakfast: Served buffet-style in the bases of the Tres Mosqueteros and San Martin hotel beginning at 6:30am, featuring falls for firsthand looks at the park’s largest Argentinian dishes. waterfalls.

Morning: We depart at 7:30am by bus to enjoy Travelers taking the optional tour will depart a different perspective of the falls today, around 3:30pm by bus and arrive back to the as we later embark on a walking tour of the hotel around 5pm. Argentinean side of Iguassu—where the Dinner: Around 7:30pm at our hotel, featuring majority of the cascades are found—soaking a selection of regional cuisine. in up-close views of the rushing and roaring water. Around 8:30am, we’ll take a train to the Evening: The evening is free to relax before Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat), where your return flight home in the morning or to we’ll walk around as the water plunges 230 feet make final explorations of Iguassu on your own. into a roiling cauldron. From here, you can take in the views of the spray flying up to 50 feet Day 5 Fly to Buenos Aires • Return to U.S. above your head. • Destination: U.S. Lunch: On your own around noon. Perhaps • Included Meals: Breakfast you’ll try chipa guaza (a salty corn pie), a Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel specialty in Iguassu. beginning at 7am, featuring Argentinian dishes. Afternoon: The afternoon is yours to explore on Morning: Depart the hotel for your flight to your own. Buenos Aires at around 9:30am by bus. Arrive Or, for an even closer look at Iguassu, join our in Buenos Aires in the early afternoon, around Great Adventure Optional Tour around 1pm. 11am, where you’ll transfer to the international We’ll discover both the lush vegetation and the airport (an approximate 30-minute bus ride) rushing waterfalls of Iguassu National Park for your overnight flight home to the U.S.

OPTIONAL TOUR

Great Adventure After a short ride, arrive at the Puerto Macuco (Day 4 $55 per person) base and the floating dock where you’ll board Explore both halves of Iguassu National Park: a motorboat for the second half of your tour. the jungle and the waterfalls. You’ll begin by Travel through the Iguassu River Canyon, entering the jungle on the Sendero Yacaratía passing through a few river rapids, before trail, which offers sweeping panoramic views. reaching the calm side of San Martin Island.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

48 From here you’ll sail on for up-close views of two of the park’s waterfalls—first to Tres Mosqueteros for a view of both the Argentinean and Brazilian sides of Iguassu, and then to the largest and most impressive waterfall, San Martin.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

49 POST-TRIP Peruvian Discovery: Seaside Lima, the Lost City of Machu Picchu & Colonial Cuzco

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Roundtrip airfare from Lima to Cuzco » 11 meals: 6 breakfasts, 3 lunches, » Accommodations for 2 nights in Lima and 2 dinners at Jose Antonio Lima Hotel or similar, 2 » 5 small group activities nights in Aguas Calientes at El Mapi Hotel » Services of our local Trip Experience Leader or similar, and 2 nights in Cuzco at José » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and Antonio Cuzco Hotel or similar luggage porters » All transfers

POST-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Day 1 Buenos Aires • Fly to Lima, Peru Day 2 Lima • Explore Huaca Pucllana ruins • Destination: Lima • Destination: Lima • Accommodations: José Antonio Lima Hotel • Included Meals: Breakfast or similar • Accommodations: José Antonio Lima Hotel Afternoon: After our flight from Buenos Aires or similar arrives in Lima this afternoon, we’ll transfer Breakfast: Served at the hotel, featuring an to our hotel, approximately 1 hour away. You’ll array of Peruvian and familiar options. receive your room assignment and enjoy the rest of the day to settle in. Depending on where Morning: The morning is yours to relax or we stay, our centrally-located hotel may explore independently. Perhaps you’ll opt for feature a restaurant and lounge. Your room will a stroll along the seaside malecón (esplanade), likely include a double bed, wireless Internet, a popular hangout spot for individuals and and a private bathroom. families. The malecón’s most iconic feature is El Beso, a large sculpture of a kissing couple that Dinner: On your own. Whether you’re hovers over a mosaic-filled park. interested in Peruvian fare or familiar flavors, our Trip Experience Leader would be happy to Or you may choose to venture to the northern recommend options. edge of the city to visit the 16th-century Iglesia de Santo Domingo. This architectural treasure Evening: At leisure. Perhaps you’ll use this serves as the final resting place for Santa Rosa opportunity to explore the lively, upscale de Lima, San Juan Macías, and San Martín de Miraflores neighborhood not far from our hotel. Porres—three of the country’s most beloved

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

50 saints. While the church’s Baroque style is Day 3 Lima • Fly to Cuzco • Transfer to impressive, the true gems of this site are the Ollantaytambo • Train to Machu Picchu relics that are housed within it, including the • Destination: Aguas Calientes skulls of two of the saints. Your Trip Experience Leader would be happy to help arrange a taxi. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Accommodations: El Mapi Hotel or similar We’ll re-convene late this morning for an Activity Note: Please be advised that we will be orientation walk through the boulevards and taking a 1-hour flight today, and we’ll spend plazas around our hotel—situated in the stylish the next four days at elevations above 9,000 Miraflores district, a cultural and artistic center feet. We recommend staying hydrated and full of small cafés, fine shops, and art galleries. eating light while at high altitude. Travelers Lunch: On your own. Our Trip Experience may rest at the hotel if necessary. Leader will point out local options during Breakfast: At the hotel. our walk. Morning: We’ll make our way to the airport Afternoon: We’ll spend approximately 1.5 after breakfast for our 1-hour flight to Cuzco, hours exploring the ruins of Huaca Pucllana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is located an adobe and clay pyramid built by members at an altitude of 10,909 feet. Upon arrival, we’ll of the pre-Incan Lima Culture, which ruled board a motorcoach bound for Ollantaytambo, what is now modern Lima from 200 to 700 AD. a well-preserved Incan town and the Comprised of seven staggered platforms, the modern-day gateway to Machu Picchu. pyramid is believed to have been a religious monument. It is surrounded by a plaza that Lunch: Enjoy a boxed lunch aboard our likely housed receptacles for ritual offerings, as motorcoach during our journey. well as administrative facilities. Afternoon: We’ll arrive in Ollantaytambo in Dinner: On your own. If you’re up for more time to catch the late-afternoon train to Aguas exploring, consider heading to the trendy Calientes, the small village from which we’ll Barranco neighborhood for dinner. Our Trip access Machu Picchu. The train ride takes a Experience Leader can provide directions and bit less than two hours and offers spectacular restaurant recommendations. views into the gorge of the Urubamba River.

Evening: Free for independent discoveries. After disembarking our train, we’ll transfer Barranco boasts a number of bars, as well as the to our hotel in Aguas Calientes, check in, and Parque Municipal, a cozy, tree-lined park that’s receive our room assignments. Most travelers surrounded by colorful colonial buildings. visit Machu Picchu on a day trip, which makes for a hectic pace and only limited time at this unique archaeological wonder. Because we’ll spend 2 nights in Aguas Calientes, we can take a closer look and enjoy a more relaxed pace. Depending on where we say, our hotel may offer wireless Internet access and an on-site restaurant featuring local cuisine. Your air-conditioned room includes a TV, minibar, and a private bathroom with a hairdryer.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

51 Dinner: At the hotel. free to spend the remainder of the morning seeking out Machu Picchu’s archaeological Evening: On your own. You may want to take treasures independently. a stroll around Aguas Calientes, or rest in your room to prepare for our visit to Machu Lunch: Served at a restaurant near Picchu tomorrow. Machu Picchu.

Afternoon: The afternoon is yours to do as Day 4 Explore Machu Picchu you please at Machu Picchu. You may want to • Destination: Aguas Calientes continue exploring the site independently, or, • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch depending on which trails are open, embark • Accommodations: El Mapi Hotel or similar on one of two hikes. One brings you to the Inca Bridge, where a trail built with impressive Inca Activity Note: Today’s activities take place at engineering crosses a cliff face. In one spot, the elevations above 7,900 feet. We recommend Incas left a deep gap, which they bridged with staying hydrated while at high altitude. logs that could be removed to render the trail Travelers may rest at the hotel if necessary. impassable to enemies. The second option is an Breakfast: Served at the hotel, featuring an ambitious hike to the Sun Gate, at the Machu array of Peruvian and familiar options. Picchu end of the Inca Trail, which offers a fine view over the ruins. Morning: After breakfast, we’ll head to the bus station in Aguas Calientes to begin the We’ll re-convene as a group late this afternoon winding, 30-minute drive up a steep hill to for our bus ride back to Aguas Calientes. Machu Picchu. Dinner: On your own. Our Trip Experience As we explore the spectacular “Lost City of the Leader will be happy to recommend Incas” together, our Trip Experience Leader restaurant options. will give us a complete and compelling look Evening: At leisure. You may opt to have a at its history. The site was discovered in 1911 Pisco Sour (the national drink of Peru) at a local by Yale archaeologist (and later, U.S. Senator) bar, or return to your room to prepare for our Hiram Bingham. Subsequent discoveries journey back to Cuzco tomorrow. (such as Bingham’s later unearthing of the Inca Trail and the 1941 discovery of nearby Huayna Picchu) suggest that Machu Picchu Day 5 Machu Picchu • Train to was not simply a “lost city” but part of a whole Ollantaytambo • Transfer to Cuzco lost region. More than 172 tombs have been • Destination: Cuzco excavated, and in 2002, Peruvian archaeologists • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch uncovered the first complete burial site, • Accommodations: José Antonio Cuzco Hotel unearthing a woman’s skeleton, bronze pins, Breakfast: At the hotel. and a clay pot. Here we can explore sites like the Ritual Baths, the Palace of the Princess, the Morning: After checking out of our hotel, we’ll Main Fountain, and the Temple of the Sun as walk to the train station to begin our return we contemplate the achievements of a most trip to Ollantaytambo. Upon arrival late this fascinating and mysterious civilization. After morning, we’ll enjoy a brief tour of the town. the guided portion of our visit concludes, you’re

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

52 Located along the banks of the Patacancha Morning: After breakfast we’ll set off to explore river, near the junction of the Vilcanota River, Cuzco together. Called “the navel of the world” Ollantaytambo is the former bureaucratic by the Incas, Cuzco was laid out in the shape of center of the Incan Empire. When Peru was a puma, a sacred beast in Inca lore. invaded by Spain in the 1500s, it served as the We’ll first visit the site of the Qoricancha Sun last line of defense for the leader of the Incan Temple, Cuzco’s most important ceremonial resistance, Manco Yupanqui. Today, we’ll structure during the Inca era. Historical take in the sights of the town as we wander records of the time note that its walls were the well-preserved Incan-era narrow lanes, once covered with 700 sheets of gold studded admiring the clever urban-planning techniques with emeralds and turquoise. When sunlight of this old civilization, who arranged the town streamed through the windows, the reflection center in a grid pattern. of light off the precious metals was blinding. Lunch: At a local restaurant. Then we’ll stroll through the heart of the city at the Plaza de Armas. When the Spanish Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll board a conquistadors arrived here, they often built motorcoach bound for Cuzco. Upon arrival atop Inca structures, leaving behind a blend approximately 2 hours later, we’ll check into of architectural styles. At the Plaza de Armas, our hotel and receive our room assignments. you’ll view the outside of the 17th-century Depending on where we stay, our hotel will cathedral that was built on the foundation of likely offer an on-site restaurant serving an Inca palace. This massive structure is one of Peruvian cuisine, a currency exchange, and the significant colonial buildings in the city. See a souvenir shop. Each room may feature a whether you agree with many that it is also one minibar, cable TV, safe, and wireless Internet of the most beautiful churches in Latin America. access. You’ll have the rest of the afternoon free to make your own discoveries. Lunch: On your own. Our Trip Experience Leader would be happy to recommend We’ll re-convene just prior to dinner for an restaurants around the Plaza de Armas. orientation walk through the neighborhood surrounding our hotel. Afternoon: Free for independent discoveries. You could return to the cathedral and go Dinner: On your own. Ask our Trip Experience inside to view its many interior paintings Leader for restaurant recommendations. and sculptures, as well as its collections of Evening: You have the freedom to spend the colonial art and religious relics. Or ask your Trip rest of your evening as you wish—ask our Trip Experience Leader to suggest other options. Experience Leader for recommendations. Dinner: We’ll toast to our discoveries in South America this evening during our Farewell Day 6 Explore Cuzco Dinner at a local restaurant. • Destination: Cuzco Evening: On your own. You may want to enjoy • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner a drink with your fellow travelers, or return to • Accommodations: José Antonio Cuzco Hotel the hotel to prepare for your flight tomorrow. Breakfast: Served at the hotel, featuring an array of Peruvian and familiar options.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

53 Day 7 Cuzco • Return to U.S. • Included Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: You have the freedom to explore Cuzco independently this morning. Head for the San Blas neighborhood to see more of Cuzco’s historic architecture and the shops of artisans along picturesque hilly, narrow lanes. Or take in the city’s Inca Museum (Museo Inka), which is housed in a colonial mansion and is known for its collection of Inca mummies. Or you may want to venture to the artisans’ market near our hotel to pick up a few souvenirs for loved ones.

Lunch: On your own. Ask your Trip Experience Leader for recommendations.

Afternoon: We’ll transfer to the airport late this afternoon for our flight to the U.S. via Lima.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

54 Chile & Argentina: OUR SMALL GROUP ADVENTURE COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY To ensure the safety of all of our travelers, we are requiring that all travelers The Andes to Patagonia joining us on one of our Small Group Adventures must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure of their adventure— and provide proof of their vaccination on-site. 2022 Dates & Prices For more details, please visit www.oattravel.com/covid-update.

JAN 18-27; FEBRUARY; MAR MAR 7-28; DEPART FROM JAN 2-14 1, 3; OCTOBER DECEMBER APRIL SEPTEMBER NOVEMBER

Miami $ 6095 $ 5795 $ 5695 $ 4895 $ 4995 $ 5895

Baltimore, Orlando, Washington, DC $ 6195 $5895 $5795 $4995 $5095 $5995

Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, $ 6295 $ 5995 $ 5895 $ 5095 $ 5195 $ 6095 Newark, San Francisco, Tampa

Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, $ 6395 $ 6095 $ 5995 $ 5195 $ 5295 $ 6195 Los Angeles, San Diego

Denver, Philadelphia $ 6495 $6195 $6095 $5295 $5395 $6295

Phoenix, Portland, Seattle $ 6595 $6295 $6195 $5395 $5495 $6395

Additional departure cities are available. Upgrade to Business Class may be available for the international portion of your flight. Call for details.

J A N U A R Y ; F E B R U A R Y - M A R C H ; OCTOBER D E C E M B E R A P R I L S E P T E M B E R N O V E M B E R Without international airfare $4595 $4495 $3695 $3795 $4695

ACA2022

NEW! STOPOVERS RISK-FREE BOOKING POLICY: RESERVE WITH CONFIDENCE— All O.A.T. Stopovers include 3 nights in a centrally- NOW THROUGH 12/31/21 located hotel, daily breakfasts, and roundtrip private airport transfers. We will waive any change fees if you transfer to another departure date for any reason—up until 24 hours prior to departure. See details at www.oattravel.com/ Lima: $645 per person riskfree-booking. Panama City: $695 per person Sao Paulo: $745 per person Bogotá: $795 per person Prices are per person. Airfare prices include government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges. All prices and availability are effective as of the date of this publication, and are Other O.A.T. Stopovers are available. If a city you subject to change without notice. Standard Terms & Conditions apply, please visit our website: are interested in is not offered, we can arrange www.oattravel.com/tc. Every effort has been made to produce this information accurately. We your airfare for that, too. reserve the right to correct errors. Call your Regional Adventure Counselor for full details at 1-800-955-1925.

For specific departure dates, current availability, and detailed pricing, visit www.oattravel.com/aca2022 pricing

SAVE UP TO 10% WITH FREE SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS SHARE YOUR LOVE OF TRAVEL OUR GOOD BUY PLAN We offer FREE Single Supplements on all New travelers you refer will instantly save The earlier you reserve your departure of our adventures and pre- and post-trip $100, and you’ll earn increasing rewards— and pay in full, the more you’ll save—up extensions. up to a FREE trip! to 10%—plus, you’ll lock in your price. Each departure has limited solo space For details, visit www.oattravel.com/va For details, visit www.oattravel.com/gbd available—call today to reserve.

Publication Date 6/10/21

Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www.oattravel.com/aca2022

55 TRAVEL DOCUMENTS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Your Passport • Must be in good condition

• Must be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return to the U.S.

• Must have the required number of blank pages (details below)

• The blank pages must be labeled “Visas” at the top. Pages labeled “Amendments and Endorsements” are not acceptable

Need to Renew Your Passport? Contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778, or visit their website at www.travel.state.gov for information on obtaining a new passport or renewing your existing passport. You may also contact our recommended visa service company, PVS International, at 1-800-556-9990 for help with your passport

Recommended Blank Pages Please confirm that your passport has enough blank pages for this adventure.

• Main trip only: You will need 4 blank passport pages.

• Pre-trip extension to Easter Island: You will need an additional blank page, for a total of 5 passport pages.

• Pre-trip to Argentina: You will not need any additional pages.

• Post-trip to Iguassu Falls: You will need 2 more blank pages, for a total of 6 passport pages.

• Post-trip to Peru: You will need an additional blank page, for a total of 5 passport pages

• Both the Easter Island pre-trip and a post-trip extension: If you are on the Iguassu Falls extension, you will need a total of 7 passport pages. For the Peru extension, you will need total of 6.

• Both the Argentina pre-trip and a post-trip extension: If you are on the Iguassu Falls extension, you will need a total of 6 passport pages. For the Peru extension, you will need a total of 5.

• Stopover in Bogota, Guayaquil, La Paz, Lima, Panama City, Quito, Rio de Janiero, or Sao Paulo: You will need to add an additional page to the applicable total listed above.

56 No Visas Required We’ll be sending you a detailed Visa Packet with instructions, application forms, and fees about 90 days prior to your departure. All visas information listed is only applicable if you are taking an optional stopover extension to a country with a required visa. In the meantime, we’re providing the information below as a guideline on what to expect. This information is for U.S. citizens only. All visas and fees are subject to change.

• Bolivia (optional stopover): Visa required. As of February 8th, 2021, U.S, citizens are required to have a tourist visa and a Yellow Fever Vaccination certificate (or waiver) when visiting Bolivia. The visa can either be obtained in advance or upon arrival.

Traveling Without a U.S. Passport? If you are not a U.S. citizen, or if your passport is from any country other than the U.S., it is your responsibility to check with your local consulate, embassy, or a visa services company about visa requirements. We recommend the services of PVS International, a national visa service located in Washington D.C.; they can be reached at 1-800-556-9990 or www.pvsinternational.org.

Traveling With a Minor? Some governments may require certain documentation for minors to enter and depart the country or to obtain a visa (if applicable). For further detail on the required documentation, please contact your local embassy or consulate.

Migration Forms When entering a new country, you might be given a Migration form. Keep it with you until the end of your trip, as the Migrations Authority might require it.

Emergency Photocopies of Key Documents We recommend you carry color photocopies of key documents including the photo page of your passport plus any applicable visas, air itinerary, credit cards (front and back), and an alternative form of ID. Add emergency phone numbers like your credit card company and the number for your travel protection plan. Store copies separate from the originals.

If you plan to email this information to yourself, please keep in mind that email is not always secure; consider using password protection or encryption. Also email is not always available worldwide. As an alternative, you could load these documents onto a flash drive instead, which can do double-duty as a place to backup photos during your trip.

Overseas Taxes & Fees This tour may have taxes and fees that cannot be included in your airline ticket price because you are required to pay them in person onsite. All taxes are subject to change without notice and can be paid in cash (either U.S. or local currency). If applicable, you will receive a list of these fees with your Final Documents.

57 RIGORS, VACCINES & GENERAL HEALTH

Is This Adventure Right for You? Please review the information below prior to departing on this adventure. We reserve the right for our Trip Experience Leaders to modify participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their condition would adversely affect the health, safety, or enjoyment of themselves or of other travelers.

PACING • 7 locations in 17 days with one 1-night stay

• Several long overland drives, including one 6-hour transfer on Day 13 and two transfers of up to 12 hours crossing the borders between Argentina and Chile on Day 7 and Day 15; three internal flights of 2-5 hours each

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS • Not appropriate for travelers using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids

• You must be able to walk 3 miles unassisted and participate in 6-8 hours of physical activities each day

• This trip take you to remote locations with no medical facilities nearby

• Day 14 is a very active day, with the opportunity to take two 1-2 hour hikes of up to 8 miles

• We reserve the right for Trip Experience Leaders to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home if their limitations impact the group’s experience

CLIMATE • Daytime temperatures average between 50-60°F year-round and rain or high winds are possible at any time in the Andes and Patagonia

• In Buenos Aires summertime temperatures range between 67-90°F with high humidity

TERRAIN & TRANSPORTATION • Travel over city streets, bumpy roads, and rugged paths; and walk and hike through backwoods on 4 treks of around 2 hours each

• Agility and balance are required for horseback rides, boarding small boats, and hiking on uneven terrain in high winds

• Travel by minibus (no toilet on board), ferry, horse, chairlift, and small boat

• Three 6- to 12-hour drives, and 3 internal flights of 2-5 hours each

58 FLIGHT INFORMATION • Travel time will be 11-17 hours and will most likely have two connections

ACCOMMODATIONS & FACILITIES • All accommodations are hotel-standard and feature private baths

Steps to Take Before Your Trip Before you leave on this adventure, we recommend the following:

• Check with the CDC for their recommendations for the countries you’ll be visiting. You can contact them online at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel or by phone at 1-800-232-4636.

• Have a medical checkup with your doctor at least 6 weeks before your trip.

• Pick up any necessary medications, both prescription and over-the-counter.

• Have a dental and/or eye checkup. (Recommended, but less urgent)

Vaccines Required

COVID-19 Overseas Adventure Travel requires that all travelers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and are able provide proof of their vaccination upon arrival at their destination. A full vaccination is defined as having been inoculated at least 14 days prior to departure by an approved vaccine. This requirement is not contingent on the countries the tour visits, but a strict company policy due to the nature of the pandemic.

Yellow Fever The CDC does NOT recommend the yellow fever vaccination for any of the areas we travel to on the main trip or pre-trip extension. However, they do recommend it for the Iguassu Falls post-trip extension, if your health allows. The vaccination is not for everyone. Please discuss this health recommendation with your doctor, because he or she can offer a suggestion tailored to your personal medical history. If you and your doctor decide the vaccination is not right for you, you are NOT REQUIRED to get it to visit Iguassu Falls. If you and your doctor decide to move forward with the vaccination, then he or she will issue you a Yellow Fever Card that shows you have been vaccinated.

TIP for travelers on the Iguassu extension: If you do get the vaccine, we recommend that you bring your Yellow Fever Card with you on the trip. If you don’t get the vaccine, then we suggest you bring a letter from your medical provider stating that you cannot receive it for medical reasons. If either Argentina or Brazil (the two countries we visit at the falls) makes a last-minute change to its entry policy before you leave, having one of these documents with you could make all the difference.

59 The Yellow Fever vaccine is required for the optional stopover to La Paz, Bolivia. Without proof of vaccination, or a vaccination waiver from your doctor, you will be unable to receive a visa or enter the country.

Medication Suggestions • An antibiotic medication for gastrointestinal illness

• Prescription pain medication in the unlikely event of an injury in a remote location

Traveling with Medications • Pack medications in your carry-on bag to avoid loss and to have them handy.

• Keep medicines in their original, labeled containers for a quicker security screen at the airport and a better experience if you get stopped by customs while overseas.

• Bring copies of your prescriptions, written using the generic drug name rather than a brand name to be prepared for any unforeseen loss of your medications.

We recommend checking with the State Department for medication restrictions by country: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel- Country-Information-Pages.html. (Pick the country and then follow the links to “Local Laws & Special Circumstances”; if you don’t see any medications specifically mentioned, then you can presume major U.S. brands should be OK).

IMPORTANT TIP: At time of writing, the State Department did not have any special warnings about American over-the-counter medications for Peru, but did have the following warning about bringing medicines back to the U.S.: “Travelers should be aware that some drugs and other products readily available over the counter or by prescription in Peru are illegal in the United States. The prescription sedative flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) is one such drug; others may come on the market at any time. Although coca-leaf tea is a popular beverage and folk remedy for altitude sickness in Peru, possession of these tea bags, which are sold in most Peruvian supermarkets, is illegal in the United States.”

Staying Healthy on Your Trip Jet Lag Tips

• Start your trip well-rested.

• Begin a gradual transition to your new time zone before you leave or switch to your destination time zone when you get on the plane.

• Attempt to sleep and eat according to the new schedule.

• Avoid heavy eating and drinking caffeine or alcoholic beverages right before–and during– your flight.

• Drink plenty of water and/or fruit juice while flying

60 • Stretch your legs, neck, and back periodically while seated on the plane.

• After arrival, avoid the temptation to nap.

• Don’t push yourself to see a lot on your first day.

• Try to stay awake your first day until after dinner.

Allergies

If you have any serious allergies or dietary restrictions, we advise you to notify us at least 30 days prior to your departure. Please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814, and we will communicate them to our regional office. Every effort will be made to accommodate you.

Water Tap water is generally safe to drink in Argentina, Chile, and Brazil, but it is processed differently than in the U.S., so it may feel “heavy” and could upset your system. Tap water in Peru is not safe to drink. Fortunately, bottled water is readily available for you to buy and is inexpensive compared to the U.S. When buying bottled water, inspect each bottle before you buy it to make sure the cap is sealed properly. To fight dehydration, carry a bottle in your daypack at all times.

Food We’ve carefully chosen the restaurants for your group meals. Fruits and vegetables are safe to eat in Argentina and Chile.

Insect Repellent: Recommended for Iguassu Falls Extension At time of writing there were reports of dengue fever in the Iguassu Falls area. If you are taking the Iguassu Falls extension, we recommend that you bring insect repellent as a preventative measure against dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases.

61 MONEY MATTERS: LOCAL CURRENCY & TIPPING GUIDELINES

Top Three Tips • Carry a mix of different types of payments, such as local currency, an ATM card, and a credit card.

• Traveler’s checks are not accepted in Chile and Argentina.

• You will not be able to pay with U.S. dollars on the majority of this trip; you will need local currency instead. U.S. dollars may be accepted in larger cities, such as Buenos Aires, but you should always ask about exchange rates before making a purchase.

Local Currency For current exchange rates, please refer to an online converter tool like www.xe.com/ currencyconverter, your bank, or the financial section of your newspaper.

Argentina The official Argentinean currency is the peso. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 pesos

• Coins: 1, 2, 5 and 10 pesos

In Argentina, U.S. dollars are generally preferred due to the strong exchange rates, but always be sure to ask first. At time of writing, tips to our staff in U.S. dollars are generally more appreciated than tips in pesos. Previous travelers have suggested bringing a mix of different denomination U.S. bills—some small ones for tipping, and some larger ones for exchanging—in good condition. Torn or dirty notes may not be accepted. Bills from the “large portrait” series (post 2013) are best.

Chile The basic unit of currency in Chile is the peso. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, and 20,000 pesos

• Coins: 10, 50, 100, and 500 pesos

In Chile, U.S. dollars are accepted at tourist-related businesses or for large-ticket purchases, but local currency is usually preferred. It can be difficult to change a bill larger than 10,000 pesos in rural areas or in a small business.

Brazil The monetary unit of Brazil is the Real (R$). The R$ is divided into 100 centavos. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Bills: 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200

62 • Coins: 5, 10, 25, and 50 centavos; 1 Real

In Brazil, the local currency is preferred over U.S. dollar. While Brazilian real can be hard to find in the U.S., depending on where you live, you can always bring dollars and exchange them once in Brazil.

Peru The official currency of Peru is the Sol (S/), which is divided into 100 centimos. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200

• Coins: 5, 10, 20, 50 céntimos and 1, 2, 5 soles

U.S. dollars are commonly accepted in Peru, especially for large transactions or at businesses that cater to visitors. However, not every business will want U.S. dollars, and the ones that do accept them will want crisp bills in very good condition—bills that are worn, torn, or even folded might be rejected. Large U.S. bills (such as $50 or $100) command a better exchange rate, but small bills are more readily accepted for payment. For this reason, we recommend that you bring a mix of denominations in U.S. dollars. Previous travelers have recommended bringing a lot of $1 bills for tipping (but not for exchanging). When paying in sols, know that it can be difficult for a shop to make change for a 100-sol bill on small purchases.

How to Exchange Money If you want to exchange money before your trip, you can usually do so through your bank or at an exchange office. Your departure airport in the U.S., a travel agent, or an AAA office are also possible outlets. Or you can wait and change money on the trip instead—but it might be helpful to arrive with some local currency in case you run into a bank holiday or an “out of order” ATM.

On your trip, the easiest way is to withdraw funds from a local ATM. The ATM will give you local money and your bank at home will convert that into U.S. dollars.

You can also exchange cash at some hotels, large post offices, and money exchange offices. To exchange cash, you’ll usually need your passport and bills in good condition—torn or dirty notes may not be accepted in Chile or Argentina. Bills from the “large portrait” series (post 2004) are best. Never exchange money on the street. All exchange methods involve fees, which may be built into the conversion rate; ask beforehand.

ATMs When using the ATM, keep in mind that it may only accept cards from local banks, and may not allow cash advances on credit cards; you might need to try more than one ATM or more than one card.

Many banks charge a fee of $1-$10 each time you use a foreign ATM. Others may charge you a percentage of the amount you withdraw. We recommend that you check with your bank before you depart.

63 Lastly, don’t forget to memorize the actual digits of your card’s PIN number (many keypads at foreign ATMs do not include letters on their keys—they only display numbers.)

Argentina: ATMs are available in larger cities like Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, and Bariloche, but will not be available in remote locations.

Chile: ATMs are available in larger cities, such as Santiago, but will not be available in remote locations.

Brazil: ATMs are fairly common in larger cities and towns, but may not be readily available in undeveloped areas. Not all ATMs are open 24/7—many are only open from 7 am until 10 pm, and then they shut down overnight. (It can be confusing because they may still be lit, even when closed.) Also, keep in mind that not every ATM will accept foreign cards. You may need to try more than one machine.

Peru: ATMs are available in large cities and towns like Lima and Cuzco but are less likely to be found in more rural locations. For example, in the Amazon you may only see an ATM at the regional airport. We suggest that you bring cash for expected expenses while traveling in the rural areas.

Credit & Debit Cards Even if you don’t plan on using a credit card during your trip, we still suggest that you bring one or two as a backup, especially if you are planning a large purchase (artwork, jewelry). We also suggest that you bring more than one brand of card (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, American Express) if possible, because not every shop will take every card. For example, although the Discover card is accepted in some countries outside the U.S., it is not widely adopted, so other brands will work at a much larger range of stores, restaurants, etc.

Argentina: Credit and debit cards are widely accepted in Buenos Aires for major purchases and in shops associated with the tourist trade (souvenirs, museum gift shops, etc.), but may not be accepted by smaller shops or restaurants. Some businesses add a surcharge of 5-10% to use a credit card; look for the word “recargo”. Some restaurants will accept credit cards—but not all— and you usually cannot leave a tip on a credit card. Visa is commonly accepted, but MasterCard and American Express are not.

Chile: Credit and debit cards are widely accepted in large cities for major purchases and in shops associated with the tourist trade (souvenirs, museum gift shops, etc.), but may not be accepted by smaller shops or restaurants. Some businesses add a surcharge of 2-4% to use a credit card. Credit cards are generally not accepted in more remote locations, such as Easter Island.

Brazil: Credit and debit cards are widely accepted in Brazil, especially for major purchases or in businesses that cater to visitors (hotels, souvenirs shops, etc.). Nonetheless, there are some businesses—street vendors, small “Mom and Pop” stores, some restaurants—that are still “cash only”. If you don’t see a credit card logo on the door or the cash register, then check with the cashier or server. In undeveloped areas, cash is usually the preferred form of payment.

64 TIP: Credit card fraud can occasionally be an issue in restaurants in Brazil, especially if the waiter takes your card away to process the payment. You can easily block this scam by not letting your credit card out of your sight. That is why you will see portable credit card machines in many upscale restaurants in Brazil—they bring the machine to you instead of taking your card away. And in restaurants that don’t have a portable machine, it is completely OK to walk your card to the register and watch as the transaction is processed.

Peru: Credit cards are more likely to be accepted large cities like Lima than in the countryside. Stores in Peru may charge you up to 8% for the use of a credit card.

Notify Card Providers of Upcoming Travel Many credit card companies and banks have fraud alert departments that will freeze your card if they see suspicious charges—such as charges or withdrawals from another country. To avoid an accidental security block, it is a good idea to notify your credit card company and/or bank you will be using your cards abroad. You can do this by calling their customer service number a week or two before your departure. Some banks or credit card companies will also let you do this online.

You should also double-check what phone number you could call if you have a problem with a card while you are abroad. Don’t assume you can use the 1-800 number printed on the back of your card—most 1 800 numbers don’t work outside of the U.S.!

Tipping Guidelines Of course, whether you tip, and how much, is always at your own discretion. But for those of you who have asked for tipping suggestions, we offer these guidelines.

• O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader: It is customary to express a personal “thank you” to your Trip Experience Leader at the end of your trip. As a guideline, many travelers give $7-$10 USD (or equivalent in local currency) per person for each day their Trip Experience Leader is with them. Please note that these tips can only be in cash. If you are taking any of the optional extensions, your Trip Experience Leader during the extension(s) may not be the same as the one on your main trip.

• Housekeeping staff at hotels: $1 per night

• Waiters: Your Trip Experience Leader will tip waiters for included meals. When dining on your own, waiters in Argentina and Chile expect a 10% cash tip. In Brazil, a 10% service charge is added to the bill, so there’s no need to leave an additional amount unless service is especially good.

• Taxis: Tipping is not customary, but many locals will round up the fare and let the driver keep the change. For long-distance drives, or for a long period of hire, a tip may be given according to the service received.

• Included in Your Trip Price: Gratuities are included for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters on your main trip, extensions, and all optional tours.

65 Please note: Tips are quoted in U.S. dollars for budgeting purposes; tips can be converted and paid in local currency (this is usually preferred) or in U.S. dollars. Please do not use personal or traveler’s checks for tips.

66 AIR, OPTIONAL TOURS & STAYING IN TOUCH

Land Only Travelers & Personalized Air Quick Definitions

• Land Only: You will be booking your own international flights. Airport transfers are not included.

• Air-Inclusive: You booked international air with us. Airport transfers are included as long as you didn’t customize your trip’s dates (see next bullet).

• Personalized Air: You booked international air with us, and have customized it in some way. If you have customized your trip’s dates to arrive early, stay longer, or stop on your own in a connecting city, airport transfers will NOT be included. You must also arrange your own accommodations for any additional nights. For your convenience, a preliminary list of your included hotels is available on your My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount under “My Reservations”.

Airport Transfers Can Be Purchased For eligible flights, airport transfers may be purchased separately as an optional add-on, subject to availability. To be eligible, your flight(s) must meet the following requirements:

• You must fly into or fly home from the same airport as O.A.T. travelers who purchased included airfare.

• Your flight(s) must arrive/depart on the same day that the group arrives or departs.

Airport transfers can be purchased up to 45 days prior to your departure; they are not available for purchase onsite. To learn more, or purchase airport transfers, please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814.

If you don’t meet the requirements above, you’ll need to make your own transfer arrangements. We suggest the Rome to Rio website as a handy resource: www.rome2rio.com.

Flight Dates Reminder If booking your own international flights, please also note that the tour will end on Day 18 of the base tour (Day 22 of the post trip) for your overnight flight back to the United States.

Optional Tours Optional tours are additional add-on tours that allow you to personalize your adventure by tailoring it to your tastes and needs. And if you decide not to join an optional tour? Then you’ll have free time to relax or explore on your own—it’s about options, not obligations.

67 What You Need to Know • All optional tours are subject to change and availability.

• Optional tours that are reserved with your Trip Experience Leader can be paid for using credit/debit cards only. We accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover credit cards; we can also take MasterCard or Visa debit cards as long as the card allows you to sign for purchases. (You won’t be able to enter a PIN.)

• To ensure that you are charged in U.S. dollars, your payment will be processed by our U.S. headquarters in Boston. This process can take up to three months, so we ask that you only use a card that will still be valid three months after your trip is over. The charge may appear on your credit card statement as being from Boston, MA or may be labeled as “OPT Boston”.

• Your Trip Experience Leader will give you details on the optional tours while you’re on the trip. But if you’d like to look over descriptions of them earlier, you can do so at any time by referring to your Day-to-Day Itinerary (available online by signing into My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount).

Communicating with Home from Abroad

Cell Phones If you want to use your cell phone on the trip, check with your phone provider to see if your phone and service will work outside of the U.S. It may turn out to be cheaper to rent an international phone or buy a SIM card onsite. If you want to use a local SIM, just make certain your phone can accept one.

Calling Apps Another option is to use a smartphone app like Skype or FaceTime. These services are usually less expensive than making a traditional call, but you’ll need a Wi-Fi connection and the calls may count towards your phone plan’s data allowance. Many smartphones—and some tablets or laptops—come with one of these apps pre-installed or you can download them for free from the appropriate apps store.

Calling Cards and 1-800 Numbers When calling the U.S. from a foreign country, a prepaid calling card can be useful because it circumvents unexpected charges from the hotel. Calling cards purchased locally are typically the best (less expensive, more likely to work with the local phones, etc.).

One reminder: Do not call U.S. 1-800 numbers outside the continental United States. This can result in costly long distance fees, since 1-800 numbers do not work outside the country.

68 Internet Internet access on this adventure will be mostly limited to computers in the hotel lobby or business center; most hotels in Chile and Argentina do not offer Wi-Fi in the rooms, and the ones that do charge for the service.

How to Call Overseas When calling overseas from the U.S., dial 011 for international exchange, then the country code (indicated by a plus sign: +), and then the number. Note that foreign phone numbers may not have the same number of digits as U.S. numbers; even within a country the number of digits can vary depending on the city and if the phone is a land line or cell phone.

Argentina: +54 Brazil: +55

Chile: +56 Peru: +51

69 PACKING: WHAT TO BRING & LUGGAGE LIMITS

Luggage Limits

MAIN TRIP LIMITS

Pieces per person One checked bag and one carry-on per person.

Weight restrictions The weight limit for this adventure is currently 50 lbs for checked bags and 17 lbs for a carry-on. Flights on Aerolineas Argentinas are subject to possible changes, see below.

Size Restrictions Varies by airline. Measured in linear inches (length+width+depth). Generally, 62 linear inches is the checked bag limit; carry-on limit is 45 linear inches.

Luggage Type Duffel bag or soft-sided suitcase. Please do not bring a hard-sided (clamshell) suitcase.

TRIP EXTENSION(S) LIMITS

Same as the main trip.

REMARKS/SUGGESTIONS

Luggage rules: Luggage rules and limits are set by governmental and airline policy. Enforcement of the rules may include spot checks or may be inconsistent. However one thing is the same across the board: If you are found to have oversized or overweight luggage, you will be subject to additional fees, to be assessed by—and paid to—the airline in question.

Aerolineas Argentinas: The published weight limit on Aerolineas Argentinas is 33lbs for checked bags, but we have arranged a higher allowance of 50lbs on your behalf as an exception. While we do not expect any changes to this exception, it is at the discretion of the airline, meaning in could change in future. Therefore if you have any flights on Aerolineas Argentinas we recommend you double-check your Final Documents booklet about two weeks before your departure to confirm that this exception is still in effect.

Don’t Forget: • These luggage limits may change. If the airline(s) notify us of any changes, we will include an update in your Final Documents booklet.

70 • It’s a good idea to reconfirm baggage restrictions and fees directly with the airline a week or so prior to departure. For your convenience, we maintain a list of the toll-free numbers for the most common airlines on our website in the FAQ section.

• Baggage fees are not included in your trip price; they are payable directly to the airlines.

• The luggage limits above are based on your regional flights, which may be less than your international flights. Even if your international airline offers a larger weight limit, you will need to pack according to the lower restrictions.

Your Luggage • Checked Luggage: One duffel bag or suitcase. Look for one with heavy nylon fabric, wrap- around handles, built-in wheels, and a heavy duty lockable zipper. Please do not bring a rigid (plastic shell) suitcase.

• Carry-on Bag: You are allowed one carry-on bag per person. We suggest a tote or small backpack that can be used as both a carry-on bag for your flight and to carry your daily necessities—water bottle, camera, etc—during your daily activities.

• Optional Luggage Storage on Iguassu Falls Post-Trip Extension: If you are joining the post-trip extension, you have the option to store your main luggage at the hotel in Buenos Aires while you journey to Iguassu Falls; you will be able to pick it up at the end of the extension before your return flight to the U.S. If you choose to store luggage in Buenos Aires, we recommend that you re-purpose your carry-on bag or use a backpack in Iguassu Falls.

• Locks: For flights that originate in the U.S., you can either use a TSA-approved lock or leave your luggage unlocked. Outside of the U.S. we strongly recommend locking your luggage as a theft-prevention measure.

Clothing Suggestions: Functional Tips As you will experience a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions, we suggest several layers of clothing. You’ll want fairly good-quality rain gear for the Iguassu extension. If you like to hand-wash your clothes, look for fabrics that will dry out overnight. You can buy clothing designed especially for travel, with features like wrinkle-resistant fabric or built-in sun protection.

• Dress in layers: You can add or remove layers according to weather shifts, especially for traveling to the tip of South America. Suggestions include turtlenecks, long-sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, a warm jacket, long underwear, etc.

• Warm clothing: We suggest a warm sweater, a windproof jacket, gloves, and a hat for your time in Patagonia (Bariloche, Calafate and Paine). These mountainous areas are cool year- round, and it has been known to snow at the higher elevations even in summer.

• Walking shoes: You’ll be on your feet and walking a lot, so choose your footwear carefully. You can find especially supportive shoes designed for walking. Light hiking boots might be useful on some days.

71 • Hiking sticks/Trekking poles: Many past travelers have recommended bringing a folding hiking stick (sometimes called a trekking pole) sold in most camping stores. An alternative is a folding ski pole.

• Rain gear: You’ll want good, light rain gear all year round. Because mist and unpredictable rain occur year-round in the Patagonia region, we strongly suggest you bring a sturdy waterproof shell or jacket (this will also keep you comfortable on windy days), waterproof pants, waterproof shoes, and a rain hat or folding umbrella.

Style Hints Dress on our trip is functional and casual. Women might want to bring one casual dress and a pair of dressier sandals.

Suggested Packing Lists We have included suggestions from Trip Experience Leaders and former travelers to help you pack. These lists are only jumping-off points—they offer recommendations based on experience, but not requirements. You may also want to consult the “Climate” chapter of this handbook.

And don’t forget a reusable water bottle—you’ll need it to take advantage of any refills we offer as we are working to eliminate single-use plastic bottles on all of our trips.

Year-Round Clothing Checklist ‰Shirts: A mixture of short and long-sleeved shirts to layer ‰Trousers and/or jeans: Comfortable and loose fitting is best. ‰Walking shorts: Shorts may be more useful for travelers on the Iguassu Falls extension ‰Shoes and socks: Comfortable walking/ running shoes or low-cut hiking shoes, with arch support. Light hiking boots might be useful on some days, but are not required. You’ll want at least a couple pairs of heavier socks for active days or hiking. If you are taking the optional Iguassu Falls extension, you may want to bring a pair of sneakers that you don’t mind disposing of after the tour as the soil in the jungle tends to leave stains.

‰Light rain jacket/windbreaker with hood ‰Light wool or fleece sweater: Even in the summer this can be useful as motorcoach air conditioning can be chilly.

‰Polartec fleece jacket. Even in summer, Patagonia can be cool, especially in the mountains. ‰Hat and gloves. It can be cold near the glaciers, even in summer. ‰Wide-brim sun hat or visor for sun protection

72 ‰Underwear ‰Sleepwear ‰Optional: Swimsuit

Seasonal Clothing Recommendations For April-September departures: ‰Gear for cold weather: The seasons are reversed south of the equator. (Our spring and summer is their fall and winter.) In some places on the itinerary, the nighttime low dips to the 30s, so winter gear like a sweater, warm coat, hat, gloves, scarf, etc is a must.

Essential Items ‰Daily essentials: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, hairbrush or comb, shaving items, deodorant, etc. Hotels provide shampoo and soap but usually not washcloths.

‰Spare eyeglasses/contact lenses; sunglasses ‰Sunscreen: SPF 30 or stronger ‰Insect repellent with DEET (we recommend 30-35% strength). Some previous travelers have mentioned that this is more useful on the extensions than on the main trip.

‰Flashlight or headlamp: Consider a small but powerful LED version or a version with an alternative power source (wind-up, solar powered).

‰Pocket-size tissues ‰Moist towelettes (baby wipes) and/or anti-bacterial “water-free” hand cleanser ‰Electrical transformer & plug adapters ‰Camera gear with extra batteries or battery charger. We recommend bringing ziploc bags to protect your camera.

Medicines & First Aid Gear ‰Your own prescription medicines ‰Travel first aid kit: Band-Aids, headache and pain relief, laxatives and anti-diarrhea tablets, something for upset stomach. Maybe a cold remedy, moleskin foot pads, or antibiotic cream.

‰An antibiotic medication for gastrointestinal illness

73 ‰Optional: A strong prescription pain medication for rare emergency purposes

Optional Gear ‰Travel alarm or travel watch with alarm ‰Lightweight binoculars (if birding) ‰Hanging toiletry bag (with hook to hang on doorknob and pockets to organize items) ‰Basic sewing kit ‰Hair dryer. Bring this only if you feel you need one 100% of the time. Most hotels will provide them during this trip.

‰Hand-wash laundry soap ‰Reading materials ‰Travel journal/note pad and pens ‰Phrase book ‰Small gift for Home-Hosted visit ‰Folding walking stick. For the post-trip extension, this should be rubber-tipped to give you more traction.

Home-Hosted Visits Many of our adventures feature a visit with a local family, often as part of the A Day in the Life experience. It is customary, though not necessary, to return your hosts’ generosity with a small gift. If you do bring a gift, we recommend that you bring something the whole family can enjoy, or something that represents your region, state, or hometown. Get creative and keep it small—peach jelly from Georgia, maple sugar candy from New England, orange blossom soap from California; something that can be used or used up is best. When choosing a gift, be certain to consider the local culture as well. For example, we do not recommend alcohol in Muslim communities because it is forbidden in Islam, and your hosts may be religious. Not all O.A.T. adventures include a Home-Hosted Visit; please check your final itinerary before you depart.

Electricity Abroad When traveling overseas, the voltage is usually different and the plugs might not be the same shape.

74 Voltage Electricity in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Peru is 220 volts. In the U.S. it is 110 volts. Most of the things a traveler will want to plug in—battery chargers, MP3 players, tablets or computers—can run off both 110 and 220-240. But you should check the item or the owner’s guide first to confirm this before you plug it in. If you have something that needs 110 volts—like a shaver or a hairdryer—you can bring a transformer to change the current. (But transformers tend to burn out, so it might be better to leave whatever it is at home.)

Plugs The shape of plugs will vary from country to country, and sometimes even within a country depending on when that building was built. To plug something from the U.S. into a local socket you’ll need an adapter that fits between the plug and the socket. Because there are many different types of plugs in this region, it may be easier to purchase an all-in-one, universal adapter/ converter combo. Versatile and lightweight, these can usually be found at your local electronics goods or hardware stores. Sometimes you can buy them at large retailers too, like Target or Walmart. If you forget to bring an adapter, you might also find them for sale at the airport when you arrive at your destination.

Different plug shapes are named by letters of the alphabet. Standard U.S. plugs are Type A and Type B. Here is the list of plugs for the countries on this trip:

Argentina: C and I

Chile: C and/or L

Brazil: A and/or C/N. Sockets in Brazil are not uniform. The same hotel might have A sockets in one room and C sockets in another room. Some hotels even have a special socket that can take both A and C plugs. Brazil has also introduced a new plug type (N).

75 Peru: A, B, or C

Type C Type I Type L Type N

Availability Barring the occasional and unpredictable power outage, electricity is as readily available on this adventure as it is in the U.S.

76 CLIMATE & AVERAGE TEMPERATURES

Buenos Aires, Argentina: While the official high temperatures in summer (December through February) are usually in the 80s, with the humidity it often feels much hotter. It is common to think it is actually in the 90s, so be prepared. The changeable spring and mild fall of Buenos Aires are similar to those seasons in New York City, but the proximity of the South Atlantic makes winter temperatures milder than New York’s comparable months and the possibility of snow almost nonexistent. You might experience some rain at almost any time of the year, as there is no true rainy season. The almost-constant breezes during all seasons except summer refresh this city’s air and renew its skies.

Bariloche, Argentina: Technically, the city is named San Carlos de Bariloche, but is known locally as Bariloche. Located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, the local climate is generally windy, sunny, and cool. In the summer (December to late February/early March) highs are pleasant—in the 60s and 70s—but lows are usually in the 40s. Fall and winter are progressively colder, with snowfall arriving in May and running through September. Spring is mixed—mostly in the 50s, but with an occasional late dusting of snow. It rains variably all year, especially between March-October.

Puerto Varas, Chile: Puerto Varas is almost the same latitude south as Portland, Oregon, is north. This is the gateway to the Chilean Lake District, and the whole area has a climate similar to that of Washington and Oregon. The landscape is renowned for its pristine lakes and still-breathing, snow-capped volcanoes. The region’s climate is changeable, cool, and wet. Rain is almost guaranteed.

Punta Arenas, Chile: Similar to the rest of the towns in this region, Punta Arenas has a cold steppe climate. The average summer temperatures are in the mid 50s and the average winter temperatures are in the mid 30s. The seasonal temperature in Punta Arenas is greatly moderated by its proximity to the ocean. This is not to say that it is known for stable constant temperatures, only small variability with season. Punta Arenas is also quite dry, with only 1.7 inches of rain in its wettest month of May. The city is also known for its strong winds, up to 80 mph. Winds tend to be strongest during the summer.

Easter Island, Chile: The cool Humboldt current keeps this sub-tropical climate cooler than most of its kind. The annual average temperature is 70°. February is hottest; July and August coolest, with winds adding a chill. Some amount of rain falls 140 days a year, though much of it falls at night. The heaviest months for rain are March-June. August-December are the driest months.

Iguassu Falls, Argentina & Brazil: Iguassu Falls experiences a humid subtropical climate. Temperatures are hot year-round – around 90° (and sometimes feel hotter than they really are because of the humidity). Rainfall is distributed fairly evenly throughout the year. The average humidity most mornings is more than 90%, but it lessens in the afternoon.

Machu Picchu, Peru: You will travel to high altitudes with much cooler climates. Temperatures vary widely but typically you will experience mild, humid weather during the day and cold temperatures in the early morning and evening.

77 Northwest Argentina: Due to high altitudes, this region of Argentina typically experiences warmer temperatures during the daytime (averaging 65-75 degrees) but it drops significantly overnight ranging from (averaging 25-50 degrees). At extreme altitudes, such as between the border of Northwest Argentina and the Atacama Desert in Chile, temperatures can drop below zero.

NOTE: If you are taking one of our optional stopovers before or after your OAT adventure, please be aware the climate and temperatures might be different from what you experienced during your tour. To prepare for weather differences and pack appropriate clothing, we recommend the following world weather sites:

• www.intellicast.com

• www.weather.com

• www.wunderground.com

Climate Averages & Online Forecast The following charts reflect the average climate as opposed to exact weather conditions. This means they serve only as general indicators of what can reasonably be expected. An extreme heat wave or cold snap could fall outside these ranges. As your departure approaches, we encourage you to go online to www.oattravel.com/myaccount for your 10-day forecast.

78 Average Daily High/Low Temperatures (°F), Humidity & Monthly Rainfall

MONTH BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA BARILOCHE, ARGENTINA

Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) (inches) Humidity (am-pm) (inches) JAN 87 to 69 86 to 47 4.2 71 to 44 76 to 41 1.0 FEB 84 to 67 89 to 52 4.0 71 to 42 77 to 40 1.0 MAR 80 to 63 90 to 54 4.0 66 to 39 81 to 47 1.6 APR 73 to 57 91 to 59 3.3 58 to 35 83 to 56 2.4 MAY 66 to 51 89 to 60 3.1 50 to 33 85 to 67 5.9 JUN 60 to 46 89 to 62 2.1 44 to 30 87 to 73 6.1 JUL 59 to 45 89 to 62 2.3 44 to 30 86 to 73 5.7 AUG 63 to 48 88 to 57 2.3 46 to 30 84 to 64 4.5 SEP 66 to 50 87 to 53 2.4 51 to 31 83 to 53 2.5 OCT 73 to 55 88 to 56 4.0 57 to 34 81 to 46 1.6 NOV 78 to 61 86 to 53 3.6 63 to 38 80 to 42 1.1 DEC 83 to 65 86 to 48 3.3 68 to 42 78 to 42 1.3

MONTH PUERTO VARAS, CHILE PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE

Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) (inches) JAN 69 to 49 -- 16 57 to 45 74 to 61 1.4 FEB 69 to 48 -- 11 57 to 45 77 to 61 1.1 MAR 66 to 46 -- 16 54 to 42 82 to 66 1.6 APR 60 to 43 -- 20 49 to 38 85 to 73 1.6 MAY 56 to 42 -- 22 44 to 35 88 to 83 1.7 JUN 52 to 40 -- 23 39 to 32 87 to 84 1.3 JUL 52 to 38 -- 23 38 to 31 86 to 82 1.3 AUG 53 to 38 -- 22 41 to 32 86 to 77 1.3 SEP 56 to 39 -- 21 46 to 35 84 to 69 1.1 OCT 59 to 42 -- 21 50 to 38 78 to 63 0.9 NOV 63 to 44 -- 20 53 to 40 73 to 61 1.1 DEC 67 to 47 -- 19 56 to 43 74 to 61 1.2

79 MONTH EASTER ISLAND, CHILE SALTA, ARGENTINA

Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) (inches) Humidity (am-pm) (inches) JAN 78 to 70 87 to 70 3.6 81 to 62 93 to 60 6.9 FEB 79 to 71 88 to 71 3.4 80 to 60 94 to 62 5.9 MAR 78 to 70 88 to 71 3.4 77 to 59 95 to 65 4.3 APR 76 to 68 86 to 73 4.6 73 to 59 94 to 62 1.2 MAY 73 to 66 84 to 74 5.0 69 to 45 93 to 55 0.3 JUN 70 to 64 84 to 73 4.0 66 to 39 90 to 48 0.1 JUL 69 to 62 84 to 73 3.7 68 to 38 86 to 43 0.1 AUG 68 to 62 84 to 73 3.4 73 to 41 83 to 39 0.2 SEP 70 to 62 85 to 72 3.3 74 to 44 80 to 39 0.3 OCT 71 to 62 86 to 70 2.9 80 to 53 81 to 40 1.0 NOV 73 to 65 87 to 70 3.2 82 to 58 87 to 48 2.4 DEC 76 to 67 87 to 70 3.6 82 to 59 91 to 53 5.0

MONTH IGUASSU FALLS, ARGENTINA & BRAZIL MACHU PICCHU, PERU

Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Humidity (avg) (inches) Humidity (avg) (inches) JAN 88 to 68 80 7.5 77 to 55 62 5.4 FEB 88 to 68 80 6.3 77 to 55 65 5.6 MAR 90 to 66 80 6.3 77 to 55 62 5.9 APR 84 to 61 85 6.7 77 to 54 61 2.4 MAY 75 to 54 90 7.1 77 to 52 57 0.9 JUN 73 to 50 90 5.9 77 to 48 48 0.7 JUL 73 to 50 85 3.9 77 to 48 45 0.9 AUG 79 to 52 80 5.5 77 to 50 43 0.9 SEP 81 to 54 80 7.1 79 to 52 51 1.7 OCT 86 to 59 80 7.5 77 to 54 51 3 NOV 88 to 63 75 8.3 79 to 55 53 3.4 DEC 90 to 66 75 7.5 79 to 55 60 4.8

80 ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS: CULTURE, ETIQUETTE & MORE

O.A.T. Trip Experience Leaders: A World of Difference During your adventure you’ll be accompanied by one of our local, expert Trip Experience Leaders. All are fluent in English and possess the skills, certification, and experience necessary to ensure an enriching adventure. As locals of the regions you’ll explore with them, our Trip Experience Leaders provide the kind of firsthand knowledge and insight that make local history, culture, and wildlife come alive. Coupled with their unbridled enthusiasm, caring personalities, and ability to bring diverse groups of travelers together, our Trip Experience Leaders ensure that your experience with O.A.T. is one you’ll remember for a lifetime.

South American Culture History has seen to it that there are many cultural similarities shared by most modern-day South American nations, including the three visited on this adventure: Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. While South America was once home to a wide range of indigenous populations with distinct languages, customs, and cultural traditions, the continent was conquered almost at the very same time by two neighboring European empires—Spain and Portugal. Spain colonized Argentina for 200 years and Chile for close to 300 years; and Portugal colonized Brazil for two centuries.

Spanish and Portuguese colonization began in South America in the early 1500s. And within a century, about 90% of South America’s indigenous populations had been eliminated at the hands of colonialists. Many ancient cultures have survived, however, resulting in a fusion of cultures that reflect both European colonizers and indigenous traditions in each South American country. As a result, most modern-day Argentinians are descendants of Spanish colonizers with minimal indigenous influences; most modern-day Chileans are descendants of Spanish colonizers and indigenous Mapuche Indians; and most modern-day Brazilians are descendants of Portuguese colonizers, indigenous peoples, along with slaves from Africa.

Language is always a strong part of national identity. Spanish is spoken in Argentina. And in Chile, almost everyone also speaks Spanish, or castellano as they would say—yet there are remote regions of the country where indigenous Mapuche speak their own languages and practice their own religion. And In Brazil, close to 100% of the population speak Portuguese—with the only exceptions being small pockets of Amerindian groups or recently arrive Asian immigrant communities.

But while all South American countries do share many cultural influences stemming from European colonization, each is passionate about variances that are uniquely their own—like Brazil’s samba and West African-influenced cuisine, Argentina’s tango, or Chile’s national dance called the cueca. And in Argentina, for example, gauchos remain a proud symbol of Argentinian culture. These iconic cowboys of mixed European and indigenous descent began roaming the Pampas grasslands of Argentina on horseback beginning in the 18th century.

81 Like in much of South America, these three countries are predominantly Roman Catholic, but the spiritual beliefs of indigenous cultures influence many religious celebrations and activities. Whether it’s indigenous roots, regional cuisine, music, art, or iconic dances, each South American country is justifiable proud and passionate about their own unique history and culture.

Argentinian Cuisine How to sum up Argentine cooking in just a few words? Probably: Meats, Italian-style pasta, and coffee.

Beef, or bife (beef-eh), is the staple of Argentina and the golden El Dorado of her economy. Somewhere around 51 million Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cattle graze in the pampas and, thanks to the gauchos, provide locals with abundant, tasty fare. Restaurant menus everywhere in the country feature some type of beef selection, and lamb is popular too. For lighter fare—or for vegetarians—look for the many pasta dishes on offer, a legacy of decades of immigration from Italy. And at the end of your meal enjoy a strong cup of European-style coffee served as an espresso, latte, or cappuccino. Some dishes to look for are:

• Asado: Argentine-style BBQ, usually beef or lamb grilled over the coals or roasted on an open fire.

• Parrillada: A mixed grill platter that includes a bit of everything—choripan (sausage), costillas (ribs), and either carne (beef) or pollo (chicken). This may also include cuts that are less familiar to Americans, such as chinchulines (small intestines), mojellas (sweetbreads), or morcilla (blood sausage).

• Steak (bife): Various cuts are available, but be warned that if you don’t specify how you want it cooked, it will likely come medium to well done. Surprisingly, it can be hard to get rare or medium rare; it is just not common to order it that way here.

• Chimichurri: A spicy sauce with an olive oil base, good on everything, especially empanadas.

• Empanadas: Fried or baked pastries stuffed with meat and vegetables. Often served as a bar snack or appetizer, but order a few different kinds and you’ll have a meal.

• Dulce de leche: A milk caramel topping that Argentines eat with all sorts of desserts and is used as the filling in alfajores cookies. There are so many different kinds, that you may see shops selling nothing but this sweet treat.

• Mate: A type of caffeinated herbal tea, often drunk in a social way from a gourd-shaped cup with a special straw.

• Wines: Argentina is known for its red wines, which pair well with all the beef, steak, and lamb on the menu. Malbec in particular is a renowned local grape.

A finally, one note of precaution: Argentines thoroughly salt almost everything, particularly meats and even salads sometimes. If you dine out, you may want to request unsalted food. When you order, simply tell the waiter no use (oo-say) sal, por favor.

82 Chilean Cuisine Chile is a cosmopolitan country, and this is strongly reflected in its food and drink. Santiago, for instance, is filled with French, Chinese, Italian, and Spanish restaurants. But the best way to dine is to sample from the great quantity of foods and beverages that are typically Chilean. Some common ingredients include merken (a smoked chili pepper), corn, and—courtesy of the country’s long coastline—Pacific Coast seafood such as king crab, conger eel, razor clams, and locos (a type of sea snail).

• Empanadas: At the head of the list comes the empanada, a stuffed pastry shaped like a small turnover filled with meat and vegetables. In other countries the meat is usually beef, but in Chile you’ll find many variations, including seafood and chicken.

• Humitas: Steamed corn cakes wrapped in corn husks—rather like the Mexican tamales, but less seasoned.

• Cazuela de ave: A kind of “souped-up soup.” It contains rice, corn, green beans, chicken, carrots, pumpkin, salt, and a number of herbs.

• Curanto is not so much a dish as a complete dinner, similar to a clambake, low country boil, or luau. When made the traditional way, a mixture of sausage, pork or chicken, seafood, corn, potatoes, and other vegetables are cooked over coals in a covered pit. In cities, it is made in casserole pots and served in some restaurants.

• Centolla (southern king crab): While you won’t see this on the menu everywhere, you may find it in southern towns like Punta Arenas. Other types of seafood to look for include machas a la parmesana (parmesan clams) and paila marina (seafood soup).

• Chacareros: Sandwiches with steak or chicken, topped with cheese, tomatoes, green beans, and sauce.

• Sopaipillas: Fired pumpkin fritters that are often eaten as a street snack. These can be sweet or savory.

• Drinks: Chile’s world-famous grapes are the foundation of its three most popular drinks. First, of course, is wine itself. Grapes are also used to make chicha, a brownish beverage somewhat reminiscent of apple cider with added punch. The last, and most powerful, is aguardiente, which translates literally into “fire water,” although it is more commonly called “pisco” and is used to make delicious pisco sour cocktails.

Lastly, one warning: The coffee in Chilean restaurants and in most homes is usually instant. So if you prefer brewed or specialty coffees, look for a cafe instead.

Brazilian Cuisine Brazil’s cuisine varies from region to region, due to its mixed population of native Brazilians and immigrants, as well as its large size. The cuisine sees heavy influences from the Europeans who colonized much of South America, from the Africans who were brought over as slaves, and from the other nearby Amerindians. Common ingredients utilized by native Brazilians are cashews,

83 cassava (a shrub with a starchy root, often called yuca), guarana (a climbing planet with fruit and seeds), acai (a fruit often compared to blackberries and unsweetened chocolate in taste), cumaru (a flowering tree with a bitter seed), and tucupi (a yellow sauce from the manioc root in the Amazon). As more Europeans settled into the country, they added wheat, wine, leafy vegetables, and dairy to the diet. Other common ingredients used include tropical fruits like coconuts, papayas, mangos, pineapples, oranges, and passion fruits. In popular dishes, you are likely to find rice, beans, cassava, or cornflour listed as a main ingredient, as they are firm staples of the cuisine. Dishes to try are:

• Feijoada: A stew with heavy Portuguese influences, made of black beans and pork, with garlic rice, cassava flour, collard greens, and vinaigrette

• Feijao tropeiro: Popular in southeastern Brazil and made with collard greens, eggs, beans, bacon, pork, and cassava flour

• Acaraje with vatapa: A dish popular in the northeastern region with west African influences, it is made of deep-fried ball of peeled back-eyed peas, onions, and salt, filled with vaatapa – a paste of shrimp, coconut milk, bread, ground peanuts, and palm oil, that was brought over by West Africa slaves.

• Escondidinho de frango com mandioca: A northeast region dish of chicken hidden under cassava puree

• Moqueca: Best known as the Brazilian Fish Stew, this dish is most popular in the northeast, with the ingredients different per region. Common made with some variation of seafood, like shellfish, shrimp, fish, etc., and served with rice

• Pastel: A popular street food of flat fried dough filled with melted cheese and minced meat

• Empada: Little pies filled with chicken, fish, palmito (heart of palm, a vegetable from the inner core of palm trees such as coconut or acai trees), or chocolate

• Mousse de maracuja: A dessert mouse made from passion fruits

• Beijinho: Originally from Portugal, these truffles were adapted away from almonds to the more local coconut. This dessert is made with sweetened condensed milk, coconut flakes, butter and caster sugar

Brazil also offers its own style of barbecue: churrascaria, where a server comes to your table with skewers of many varieties of meat and cuts it off directly onto your plate. Or for an inexpensive meal try a comida por kilo, self-service buffets where you pay by weight.

Peruvian Cuisine There is no question about Peru’s status as the culinary jewel of South America. Along with offering authentic indigenous dishes that have been in existence for close to 70 centuries, Peruvian cuisine has embraced culinary techniques and flavors from Europe, Africa, and Asia to create dishes and flavors you won’t experience anywhere else—as well as several world renowned restaurants and chefs in Lima.

84 One reason that Peru has grown into a culinary superpower is that few places on earth offer such a variety of indigenous ingredients, The extreme elevations and range of climate zones has enabled Peru to draw from a staggering variety of ingredients—including close to 4,000 varieties of potatoes, 650 varieties of native fruit, 2,000 species of fish, and more than 300 varieties of chilies, an essential ingredient in Peruvian cuisine. Chilies like the native aji, which is often puréed into sauces, have been cultivated in Peru for some 7,000 years.

Aji might make an appearance in Peruvian ceviche. This famous seafood dish is popular all over South America’s Pacific coast, but Peruvians claim to have perfected the recipe: Raw fish and shellfish are marinated in citrus juices, and flavored with cilantro, onions, salt, and peppers. The acid in the citrus “cooks” the fish a bit. Peru’s Japanese community add their own twist called tiradito, in which the fish is sliced sushi-style, and marinated in soy, mirin, and puréed aji.

Peru’s geography and varied climates mean that cooking styles vary by region. No matter where you are in Peru, however, you’ll find hearty soups and stews accompanying most meals. Roasted chicken is eaten all over Peru, along with tamales and humitas (like tamales but using fresh, not dried corn). Dishes in the Andes often revolve around corn, potatoes, and a source of protein like cuy (guinea pig). Usually raised in the household, the traditional method of cooking cuy is to fill it with herbs and roast it over an open flame. Another traditional meat in the Peruvian Highlands is alpaca, which is very lean and is similar to buffalo meat. Indigenous influences come through in the cuisine of northern Peru, especially in dishes like shambar, a hearty soup made with wheat, pork rinds, smoked ham, onion, and several types of beans. And in the Amazon, a staple in many dishes is the paiche, one of the world’s largest freshwater fishes.

Lomo saltado is a fusion of Chinese techniques and Peruvian ingredients. Strips of beef are marinated in soy and other spices, then stir fried with aji, onions, and tomatoes. It’s served with rice and french fries. Don’t miss the chance to try pachamanca, a Peruvian specialty based on meats like lamb, beef, pork and guinea pig which are seasoned with sprigs of rosemary and wrapped in banana leaves. The packets are cooked over hot stones and smothered with grass and earth for a smoky finish. Various vegetables also get tossed on the fire.

Tacu Tacu is a tasty Peruvian comfort food made of seasoned rice and beans shaped into a loaf. It can be fried or baked till a crispy crust is formed; then simmered in a tomato and pepper sauce. Forget about your cholesterol and enjoy it the Peruvian way: Topped with a fried egg, grilled steak, or seafood; then smothered in cheese and baked till bubbly.

You can wash down your meal with a pisco sour, the national cocktail made with a grape brandy called pisco, lime juice, bitters, and a froth of egg whites. For a non-alcoholic refresher, try chicha morada. This “purple beverage” is based on purple corn kernels that are boiled with pineapple, quince, cinnamon, sugar and cloves. The mix is strained, chilled, and served with lemon or chopped fruit. It is high in antioxidants. (In Ecuador, it is called colada morada.) Traditional Mate de coca (coca tea) is also popular and is a tried and true remedy for altitude sickness—but please don’t try to bring any back to the U.S. with you.

85 Photography in Machu Picchu The use of professional cameras in Machu Picchu requires special permission by Peru’s Ministry of Culture, so you will not be able to use a professional-grade camera or camcorder during our visit there. Your average camera - point-and-shoot or DSLR - is not considered professional- grade. However, lenses over 200 mm, tripods, and monopods are not allowed in Machu Picchu.

Shopping: What to Buy, Customs, Shipping & More There may be scheduled visits to local shops during your adventure. There is no requirement to make a purchase during these stops, and any purchase made is a direct transaction with the shop in question, subject to the vendor’s terms of purchase. O.A.T. is not responsible for purchases you make on your trip or for the shipment of your purchases.

Returns If you discover an issue with an item, you should contact the vendor directly and expect that any resolution will take longer than it would in the U.S. We recommend that you keep a copy of all your receipts, invoices, or contracts, along with the shop’s contact information. Keep in mind, local practice may vary from U.S. standards, so don’t assume that you have a certain number of days after the purchase to speak up or that you are guaranteed a refund.

Crafts & Souvenirs

Argentina Argentina is world-famous for its leather goods and you’ll find them readily available in Buenos Aires. Popular buys include belts, jackets, boots, shoes, skirts, pants, briefcases, and purses. These come in a rainbow of pastels and vivid colors, and a variety of textures from rough suedes to soft leathers. Other items worth considering include wool sweaters, clothing made of the Argentine equivalent of cashmere, ponchos, wine, and antique silver gaucho accessories. Top- quality jewelry is also sold, with the best buys being items made with Inca Rose or rhodochrosite. Argentina is one of the few places in the world where this is found and it is used in everything from jewelry to carved figures.

Bargaining: Argentina does not have a bargaining culture; prices in shops are fixed. The only place you may be able to bargain is in the open-air markets. If you try to bargain at a market, keep in mind that if you make an offer, you should be prepared to buy at that price. Bring a mix of small bills so that you can pay in exact change.

Chile Among Chilean goods, the excellent textiles are worth perusing. For “typical” items, colorful hand-woven ponchos are a good buy, as well as vicuna rugs, and—although perhaps a little heavy for air travel—there is excellent artisan copper work. Chilean stones have achieved much popularity abroad, and there are many “rock shops” in the city and suburbs selling quality work in lapis lazuli, Chilean jade, amethyst, agate, onyx, and others. Salmon, canned and smoked, is also a good buy.

86 Bargaining: In Chile, shops generally have fixed prices. In places other than shops (like markets), you may be able to bargain. The only rule is that if you make an offer, you should be prepared to buy at that price. Bring a mix of small bills so that you can pay in exact change.

Brazil Brazil is a shopping bonanza. Traditional handicrafts like wooden carvings, masks, ceremonial figures in wood or clay, and handmade lace or textiles complete for your attention with modern brands like Havaianas flip-flops, and Granado beauty products. To make your own caipirinha cocktails at home, bring back a bottle of the local sugarcane liquor called cachaca. Or for a non- alcoholic option, chose a bag of Brazilian coffee. Other items for sale include soccer memorabilia and props for the yearly carnival festival.

Peru Traditional souvenirs available in Lima and Cuzco include gold and silver jewelry, old and new weavings, ceramics, woolen clothing, hand-knitted alpaca sweaters, woven ponchos, rugs, coats, and blankets. A much more limited selection is available in Iquitos.

U.S. Customs Regulations & Shipping Charges For all things related to U.S. Customs, the ultimate authority is the U.S. Bureau of Customs & Border Protection. Their website, www.cbp.gov has the answers to the most frequently asked questions. Or you can call them at 1-877-227-5511.

The top three points to know are:

• At time of writing, your personal duty-free allowance is $800 for items brought with you. Items totaling more than $800 are subject to duty fees.

• Items shipped home are always subject to duty when received in the U.S. Even when the shop has offered to include shipping and duties in the price, this typically means shipping to the nearest customs facility and payment of the export duties—not door-to-door shipping or payment of the import duties. All additional duties or shipping charges would be your responsibility. Unless an item is small enough to send by parcel service (like FedEx), chances are you will need to arrange shipping or pick-up once the item is in the U.S. and will need to pay customs duties.

• It is illegal to import products made from endangered animal species. U.S. Customs & Border Protection will seize these items, as well as most furs, coral, tortoise shell, reptile skins, feathers, plants, and items made from animal skins.

87 Agricultural Statement for Chile Like some parts of the U.S. such as California and Hawaii, Chile severely restricts the entry of agricultural products to protect against the accidental transport of pests. Chile’s requirements are very strictly enforced and incur large fines for violation. If you are arriving in Chile by air, we advise you to discard any fruit, nuts, vegetables, seeds, dairy products including cheese, flowers (including dried flowers), or unprocessed meats before landing.

If you are arriving by air, the flight attendants will distribute an Agricultural Products form that you must complete. On this form you’ll be asked to declare whether or not you are bringing any fruits, nuts, or other organic products into Chile. If you are carrying any items of this nature, you must declare them on this form. Fines of up to $200 could result if customs officers find even a simple pack of peanuts or an apple.

88 DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY

Argentina

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 1,073,518 square miles

• Capital: Buenos Aires

• Languages: Spanish is the official language. English is widely spoken in major cities and tourist centers.

• Location: Argentina is bordered by Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, and Chile

• Geography: Located in the South and West Hemisphere, Argentina features a diverse landscape ranging from the ice fields of Patagonia to the fertile pampas to the Andes Mountains.

• Government Type: Republic

• Population: 45,376,763

• Religions: Roman Catholic 92%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%.

• Time Zone: Argentina time (ART) is 3 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time. Generally Argentina is 1 hour ahead of Eastern Time in the U.S. So usually, when it is 6am in Washington D.C. it is 7am in Buenos Aries. But Argentina doesn’t use daylight saving time like the U.S. does, so from November to March there is a 2 hour difference—6am in D.C. is 8am in Buenos Aires.

89 National Holidays: Argentina

In addition to the holidays listed below, 05/01 Labor Day / May Day Argentina celebrates a number of national 05/25 National Day/May 1810 Revolution holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Carnival and Easter. To find out if you will be 06/20 Flag Day traveling during these holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 07/09 Independence Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 3rd Monday in August General San Martin Day

03/24 Memorial Day 2nd Monday in October Colombus Day

04/02 Day of the Veterans 12/08 Feast of the Immaculate Conception

12/25 Christmas Day

Argentina: A Brief History Little is known about societies that occupied prehistoric Argentina, though fossil records indicate a presence in the region of today’s Patagonia as early as 11,000 B.C. The Spanish arrived in Argentina early in the 16th century and would rule the country for the next 300 years. Spain’s grip on Argentina began to loosen during events that began in 1806, when the British overpowered Spanish military forces in Buenos Aires and attacked the Malvinas Islands (later known as the Falkland Islands). When word arrived in Argentina that Napoleon had conquered cities in Spain and overthrown the Spanish king, the people of Argentina were inspired to rule themselves, which brought about independence in 1816.

With the help of an influx of immigrants late in the 19th century, Argentina’s economy began gathering strength. Its continued growth in the initial decades of the 20th century was often at the expense of the working class. Juan Perón, who was elected president in 1946, recognized the plight of workers and sought to empower them by increasing union membership and expanding social and educational programs. When Argentina’s economy declined in the early 1950s, he became increasingly authoritarian. After the death of his first lady in 1952, the charismatic Eva “Evita” Perón whom the workers loved, Juan began losing support and was eventually overthrown in a violent coup in 1955. Forced into exile by the military, Juan Perón fled to Paraguay and then settled in Spain in 1960.

Continuing to wield influence from afar, Perón returned to power in 1973 in a special election, with his new wife Isabel, an Argentinian dancer he married in 1961, becoming his vice president. But Juan’s return was short-lived when he died in 1974, which resulted in Isabel becoming Argentina’s new president—someone who was resented by millions of Argentinians still devoted to Evita. With the country now entering a downward spiral due to the Arab oil embargo and other factors, Isabel was deposed in a military coup in 1976. The right-wing military junta that took power ruled Argentina brutally for the next several years, killing some 20,000-30,000 revolutionaries or sympathizers. The country’s downward spiral continued, and after Argentina lost the Falklands War (in Spanish, the Guerra de las Malvinas) to the British in 1982, the military’s credibility was finished, leading to the next free elections.

90 While the decades that followed military rule have seen Argentina’s fortunes rise and fall dramatically, the country’s hard-won democracy has endured.

Chile

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 291,933 square miles

• Capital: Santiago

• Languages: Spanish

• Location: Chile is bordered by Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina

• Geography: One third of Chile is covered by the Andes. Five distinct geographical regions make up the country: the Northern Desert, the Central Valley, the Lake District, Patagonia in the south, and remote Easter Island 2,400 miles offshore in the Pacific.

• Government Type: Republic

• Population: 17,508,260

• Religions: Roman Catholic 66.7%, Evangelical or Protestant 16.4%, Jehovah’s Witness 1%, other 3.4% none 11.5%, unspecified 1.1%

• Time Zone: From roughly mid-September to mid-April, though it can vary year to year, Chile is on Chile Summer Time (CLST), two hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time (EST). When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is 8am in Santiago. The rest of the year, Chile is on Chile Standard Time (CLT), 1 hour ahead of EST, and the exact same time as Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Chile’s seasons are opposite to those in the U.S., so just as we are starting daylight saving time, Chile is finishing it.

91 National Holidays: Chile

In addition to the holidays listed below, Chile 07/16 Our Lady of Mount Carmel celebrates a number of national holidays that 08/15 Assumption of Mary follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter and Reformation Day. To find out if you will be 09/18 National Day traveling during these holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 09/19 Army Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 2nd Monday in October Colombus Day

05/01 Labor Day / May Day 11/01 All Saints’ Day

05/21 Navy Day 12/08 Immaculate Conception Day

6/29 Saint Peter and Saint Paul Day 12/25 Christmas Day

Chile: A Brief History Evidence reveals that humans began populating Chile’s fertile valleys between the Andes and the Pacific a little more than 10,000 years ago. But since it was surrounded on three sides by almost impenetrable barriers, these rich valleys remained relatively unknown to the outside world until the middle of the fifteenth century, when the Incas began their conquest of the continent. The Incas managed to conquer northern Chile but were prevented from advancing further by the indigenous Mapuche. But less than a century later Spanish conquistadores arrived from Peru in search of gold, and the conquest of Chile began. For the next four hundred years, much of Chile was under Spanish control—except for the Mapuche region in the south. Then, following seven years of warfare, Chile gained its independence from Spain in 1817. But the Mapuche-controlled south resisted the new Chilean government and remained autonomous until the middle of the century.

While Chile’s independence initiated a system of representative democracy, its 20th-century political history has been marked by turmoil. Facing economic depression and mounting inflation, a Marxist government came to power under Salvador Allende in 1970—which led to a right-wing government seizing power three years later under General Augusto Pinochet (in a U.S.-backed coup where Allende was killed). Pinochet ruled for the next 17 years, a brutal dictatorship marked by terror, corruption, and human rights abuses. In 1990, having failed in his bid to gain popular ratification for his rule, Pinochet handed over the presidency to the rightfully elected Patricio Aylwin Azocar. Chile’s political climate has since remained stable, although there is still considerable tension between the military and the government concerning the human rights violations of the Pinochet era.

In 2006, Michelle Bachelet Jeria was elected President, becoming the first woman to hold Chile’s highest office. Her policies helped Chile become the first South American member of the OECD (Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development). Despite record high approval ratings President Bachelet stepped down at the end of her term in March 2010, however, as Chile’s constitution forbids the immediate re-election of a president. She was succeeded in office by Sebastian Pinera, whose first order of business was recovering from a large earthquake that

92 occurred off the coast on February 27, 2010. Just as Chile was getting back on its feet, a mining accident in August of 2010 brought international attention back to the normally quiet country. A cave-in at the San Jose mine in the Atacama Desert left 33 miners trapped underground for a record 69 days. It is estimated that nearly one billion people worldwide tuned in for the daring and successful rescue operation, which was televised live around the globe. In 2014, Michelle Bachelet was reelected, followed by the reelection of Sebastian Pinera in 2018 to present day.

Brazil

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 3,286,470 square miles

• Capital: Brasilia

• Languages: Portuguese is the official language; English is also spoken

• Ethnicity: White 47.7%, biracial 43.1%, black 7.6%, Asian 1.1%, indigenous 0.4%

• Location: Brazil is bordered by Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana 1, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

• Geography: Brazil is geographically divided into highlands and plateaus in the south and the Amazon River Basin in the north.

• Population: 210,147,125 (estimate)

• Religions: Roman Catholic 64.6%, other Catholic 0.4%, Protestant 22.2% (includes Adventist 6.5%, Assembly of God 2.0%, Christian Congregation of Brazil 1.2%, Universal Kingdom of God 1.0%, other Protestant 11.5%), other Christian 0.7%, Spiritism 2.2%, other 1.4%, none 8%, unspecified 0.4%

• Time Zone: Brazil has four time zones. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is 7am in Rio de Janeiro.

93 National Holidays: Brazil

In addition to the holidays listed below, Brazil 05/01 Labor Day / May Day celebrates a number of national holidays 09/07 Independence Day that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter., Carnival, and Corpus Christi To find out if you 10/12 Our Lady Aparecida / Children’s Day will be traveling during these holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 11/02 All Souls Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 11/15 Republic Proclamation Day

04/21 Tiradentes Day 12/25 Christmas

Brazil: A Brief History Modern day Brazil was inhabited as far back as 8,000 years ago by migrating hunters who traveled from Asia by land or coastal sea routes. The Portuguese, who eventually settled much of this land, did not arrive until the 15th century. Motivated by competition with Spain, and inspired by advances in navigation, Portugal first sailed toward Brazil in search of a path to the Far East. They were granted land rights below a north-south line through an agreement with Spain known as the Treaty of Tordesillas. An expedition commanded by Pedro Alvares Cabral then formally claimed the land on behalf of the King of Portugal. Brazil was finally settled in 1532 by São Vicente. Later, a system of twelve “captaincies” united it under Tome de Souza.

As the new colony began to prosper, interest grew from other European countries. In 1630, the Dutch occupied the northeast, and the city of Recife flourished under Count Maurits, but the Dutch were eventually driven out. Settlement in Brazil remained heavy on the east coast until a boom beckoned people from all over the country to move inland in search of gold and, later, diamonds. A group of bandeirantes (colonial scouts) pushed west in search of riches and slaves; they established outposts where many of today’s Brazilian cities still exist.

Throughout the next two centuries, Portugal benefited from Brazil’s prosperity through a series of taxes and restrictions that were common for the time. In 1788, Jose da Silva Xavier led an unsuccessful movement for independence from these practices. That independence came years later, after Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Portugal and the Portuguese royal family fled to Brazil. When the war was over and they returned home, their son, Pedro, declared independence and later became Emperor of Brazil. He later abdicated to his five-year-old son, Dom Pedro II, who officially took over at the age of 15 and led Brazil through a period of progress and expansion. After freeing all slaves in Brazil in 1888, Dom Pedro II was overthrown in favor of a new republican government.

The Republic saw Brazil through World War I and the Great Depression, but was overthrown by a military junta. Getulio Vargas outlawed the elected government and replaced it with the Estado Novo. Vargas instituted nationalist policies, developing the country’s vast resources and uniting Brazil with the Allies during World War II. After Vargas, a series of military-appointed presidents followed until 1985, when a civilian was again elected to the presidency. Brazil then entered a period of economic prosperity and, in 1989, returned to a democratic government with the election of Fernando Collor de Mello (often simply referred to as “Collor”).

94 Unfortunately, the election did not result in the political stability that Brazilians had hoped for. In 1994, a former Minister of the Treasury, Fernando Henrique Cardoso was elected president. President Cardoso’s administration put a strong emphasis on improving Brazil’s economy and reaching out the international community at large. Despite some setbacks, he was re-elected in 1998, and managed to somewhat control the rampant inflation that had been an issue for Brazil in the past. Lula was re-elected for a second term, and in 2009 was faced with his biggest challenge: the world financial crisis. Although the Brazilian economy was impacted, certain tax measures and investments in industry and manufacturing helped the country bounce back. In 2010 Dilma Rousseff was elected as Brazil’s first female president; one of her first challenges was preparing the country to be a host of both the World Cup Finals (in 2014) and the Summer Olympics (in 2016). She has also instituted new programs designed to reduce poverty, especially childhood poverty. Rousseff was charged with criminal administrative misconduct and disregard for the federal budget during her second term and suspended on April 17th, 2016, with her Vice President Michel Temer taking over her duties as Acting President until her formal impeachment on August 31st, 2016. In the 2018 elections, Jair Bolsonaro, the first president of the Republic to graduate from the Armed Forces since the end of the Military Regime, was elected. That same year, during the Senate elections, Rousseff ran for office in Minas Gerais. She placed fourth.

Peru

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 496,225 square miles

• Capital: Lima

• Languages: Spanish and Quechua are the official languages; Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages are also spoken.

• Location: Peru is bordered by Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador.

• Geography: Peru is the third-largest country in South America. Topped by towering Andean peaks, its landscape also includes a portion of the Amazon River Basin and an extension of Chile’s Atacama Desert along the coast. Three of Peru’s largest cities—Lima, Trujillo, and Chiclayo—are in the coastal desert region. The city of Iquitos (population 400,000) is the capital of Peru’s Amazon region on the eastern slope of the Andes. It is accessible only by airplane and Amazon riverboat.

• Population: 32,824,358 (estimate)

• Religions: Roman Catholic 81.3%, Evangelical 12.5%, other 3.3%, unspecified or none 2.9%

• Time zone: Peru is on Peru Time, which is the same time zone as U.S. EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is 6am in Lima. Peru does not observe Daylight Savings, so during Daylight Savings, Peru Time is 1 hour behind EST.

95 National Holidays: Peru

In addition to the holidays listed below, Peru 06/29 St. Peter & St. Paul celebrates a number of national holidays that 07/28 Independence Day follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter . To find out if you will be traveling during these 07/29 Independence Day (Day 2) holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/ holidays. 08/30 Santa Rosa De Lima

01/01 New Year’s Day 10/08 Battle of Angamos

05/01 Labor Day / May Day 11/01 All Saints Day

Peru: A Brief History Although Peru is well known as the land of the Incas, its rich ancient history pre-dates the Inca Empire by thousands of years, with the earliest evidence of indigenous societies going back to the eighth millennium BC.

By 1200 BC, several groups had begun moving from the north into what is now Peru, including the Chavín, Chimú, Sechìn, Nazca, and Tiahuanaco. The ruins of the Chimú city of Chanchan, built around 1000 AD, still exist today. Another legacy of these early peoples is the striking religious iconography of the Chavín, who portrayed animals, particularly the jaguar, in a distinctive and impressive style.

Around the 5th century BC, the Saliner and the Paracas came into the picture and made many artistic and technological advances, including kiln-fired ceramics and sophisticated weaving techniques. The Nazca, creators of the huge, cryptic Nazca Lines, were successors to the Paracas culture.

The Inca Empire had a surprisingly brief reign at the end of this long pre-colonial history. From the early 1400s until 1532, the Incas expanded their domain from the river valley around Cuzco to the whole region from northern Argentina to southern Colombia, including much of present-day Peru and Ecuador.

In its prime, the Incan capital at Cuzco was the richest city in all of the Americas, dominated by gold-plated temples. Though only fragments of Cuzco’s Incan architecture remain, the ruins of an Incan ceremonial center at Machu Picchu have survived to astonish the world.

When Francisco Pizarro landed with his band of Spanish conquistadors in 1532, the Inca Empire was weakened by a dispute over succession to the throne. Pizzaro arranged a private meeting with the Inca ruler, Atahualpa, and assassinated him while the conquistadors sacked the city of Cuzco and took control, thus ending the Inca Empire. In 1535, Pizarro established a new capital city at Ciudad de los Reyes, now Lima, but was killed six years later by a rival conquistador.

96 For 200 years, Spanish officials ruled Peru using native intermediaries as go-betweens to deal with the indigenous population. In 1780, some 60,000 indigenous Peruvians rose up in revolt against Spanish rule. It was unsuccessful, as was another revolt in 1814. But in 1821, with the help of Jose de San Martin of Argentina and Simon Bolivar of Venezuela, Peru finally drove the Spanish military out and declared independence.

A series of Bolivar’s lieutenants—known as the “marshals of Ayacucho”—governed Peru in the following decades, including Ramon Castilla, who presided over the adoption of a liberal constitution in 1860.

Since then, Peru’s history has been a dramatic alternation between democratic and dictatorial governments, each of which has faced pressing social and economic issues. Opposition to dictatorship has played a prominent role in Peruvian politics since the 1920s, when Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre founded the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA).

Peruvian democratic reformers have long advocated guaranteed civil liberties and improved living conditions for the nation’s Native Americans. There have also been radical and violent opposition movements, including the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path), whose leaders were captured in 1992.

Peru’s next four heads of state were democratically elected presidents: Fernando Belaúnde Terry in 1980, Alan García Pérez in 1985, Alberto Fujimori in 1990, and Alejandro Toledo in 2001. In 2006, Alan Garcia Perez was elected for a second term and presided over a period of economic growth until 2011 when Peru’s current president, Ollanta Humala was elected.

97 RESOURCES

Suggested Reading

Argentina The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander (2009, Historical Fiction) Set in Buenos Aires’s Jewish community during the 1970s, the author’s well-received first novel blends a family story with the tragic “dirty war”—a time when citizens were made to disappear.

Enduring Patagonia by Gregory Crouch (2001, Non-fiction) This is the gripping true adventure story that documents the successes and failures of seven climbing expeditions in the Patagonian Andes.

False Calm: A Journey Through the Ghost Towns of Patagonia by Maria Sonia Cristoff (2005, Non-fiction) Although the author left her tiny, remote town in Patagonia, she later returned to interview the people who stayed. Part memoir, part reporting, and part travelogue this beautifully written book gives you a great sense of the isolation of Patagonia.

And the Money Kept Rolling In (and Out) by Paul Blustein (2005, Economics/History) A currency crisis isn’t usually a page-turner. But Blustein manages to do just while he digs into what role the World Bank, the IMF and Wall Street played in the spectacular collapse of Argentina’s economy in 2001.

Evita: The Real Life of Eva Peron by Nicholas Fraser and Marysa Navarro (1996, Biography) Considered to be one of the best-researched and most balanced accounts of the woman behind the myth.

In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin (1977, Travel Narrative) A masterpiece of travel, history and adventure. This engaging book captures the spirit of the land, history, wildlife, and people of Patagonia.

The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey by Ernesto “Che” Guevara (1992 Memoir/Travel Narrative) The true-life story of Che Guevara’s attempt to see South America from the back of an old motorcycle at the age of 23. Later in life, he would claim that it was this journey that started to form his political beliefs.

The House on Garibaldi Street by Isser Harel (1975, Biography). A true story of one of this century’s most audacious intelligence operations - the kidnapping of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina by the Mossad, Israel’s secret intelligence service. Women’s History Month. Celebrate women who inspire change.

98 Chile The House of the Spirits, Daughter of Fortune, and Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende (2015-2020, Literature) Three books by one of Chile’s most accomplished authors. The House of the Spirits follows the passionate ups and downs of four generations; Portrait in Sepia is a novel about memory and secrets as a woman attempts to trace her family history; and Daughter of Fortune is about a young woman from Chile who follows her heart to the California gold rush.

Deep Down Dark by Hector Tobar (2015, Non-fiction) In 2010, the world was gripped by the news reports of 33 miners trapped for 69 days below the surface—this is their story.

The Dictator’s Shadow: Life Under Augusto Pinochet by Heraldo Munoz (2008, Biography/History) Recounts the many terrifying acts of Chile’s former dictator, his rise to power, and what it took to be rid of him.

Easter Island by Jennifer Vanderbes (2004, Fiction) The novel has two intertwined stories—one set in 1913 just before the outbreak of World War I and one in the 1970s—both featuring a heroine of her time.

The Essential Neruda by Pablo Neruda (2004, Poetry) Chile’s famous poet printed several volumes during his lifetime—all worthwhile—but this edition is a good introduction to his best- known works.

An Inside View … Allende’s Chile by Edward Boorstein (1977, History) Recommended by our Chilean office, the book recounts the collaboration of U.S. corporations and government agencies to destabilize Allende’s Popular Unity government written by an economic advisor to Allende.

Brazil Brazil by Michael Palin (2012, Travel Narrative) What would it be like to travel Brazil with a cultured and funny travel enthusiast who happened to be a member of the famed British comedy group Monty Python? This book tells you.

The Brazilians by Joseph Page (1995, Culture) A useful review of how Brazil’s people, history, economy and politics have shaped its modern-day culture.

Brazil: Five Centuries of Change by Thomas E. Skidmore (2009, 2nd Ed., History) It’s hard to condense 500 years of history into roughly 250 pages, but this useful volume on Brazil’s colonial history and post-independence era mostly succeeds. (For more recent history, you could pick up The New Brazil by Riordan Roett or The Throes of Democracy: Brazil since 1989 by Bryan McCann.)

Brazil by Errol Lincoln Uys (2000, Literature) A massive and sweeping historical novel that follows the lives of two families across multiple generations, set against the backdrop of historical Brazil. Reminiscent of Alex Haley’s Roots or Shogun by James Clavell, but this time set in South America.

99 Peru Conversation in the Cathedral by Mario Vargas Llosa (1969, Literature) A novel about power, corruption, and identity, set in 1950s Peru under the dictatorship of Manuel Odria. Considered one of the world’s greatest novelists, Mario Vargas Llosa is not for everyone, however. But if you can handle the Nobel-Prize winning author, you should also try Death in the Andes, a suspense tale in a remote Andean village, or Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, set in the Lima of Llosa’s youth.

Making Machu Picchu: The Politics of Tourism in Twentieth-Century Peru by Mark Rice (2018, Nonfiction) This historical inquiry explores the development of Machu Picchu into a national symbol (and major tourist attraction) from its “discovery” by Hiram Bingham in 1911 to the present. A thoughtful look at nationalism, the indigenous experience, globalism, and the impact of tourism (pros and cons) on national identity.

Conquest of the Incas by John Hemming (2003, History). A masterful history of the Inca struggle against the Spanish invasion. An engaging work that brings together wide-ranging scholarly material in the interests of telling a good story.

Eight Feet in the Andes by Dervla Murphy (1983, Travel Account). Murphy and her nine-year-old daughter traveled 1,300 miles by mule through the Andes, from Cajamarca to Cuzco. This account describes their three-month journey.

Incas: People of the Sun by Carmen Bernand (1994, History). The story of the rise and fall of the Inca civilization. It includes excerpts from the writings of conquistadors, travelers, and the Incas themselves.

Lima: A Cultural History by James Higgins (2005, History). An erudite guide to the cultural gems and literary history of Peru’s capital city. James Higgins, who specializes in Peruvian literature, covers the scope of the city’s history from its pre-Columbian museums, to its conquistador heritage, to its dynamic present.

Lost City of the Incas by Hiram Bingham (1948, History/Adventure) A first-rate tale of adventure by the man who rediscovered Machu Picchu in 1911. This classic account is a gripping story of exploration, archaeology, and natural history—and still an outstanding overview of the site itself.

Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams (2012, History/Travel Narrative) The humorous and engaging tale of what happens when a modern-day adventurer tries to follow the steps of Hiram Bingham by re-creating the expedition that discovered Machu Picchu.

Life in the Treetops: Adventures of a Woman in Field Biology by Margaret Lowman (1999, Memoir). The sprightly memoir of an ecologist who climbs, studies, and sleeps in trees for a living, balancing multiple roles of scientist, wife, and mom. She continues her story in a second memoir (written with her now-grown sons) entitled It’s a Jungle Up There: More Tales from the Treetops.

Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice by Mark Plotkin (1994, Culture). An ethnobotanist recounts his work documenting the use of medicinal plants among remote Amazon tribes.

100 Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond (1997, Cultural Anthropology). While not exclusively about Peru, Diamond provides readers with stunning insights into the period of European colonization and the conflict between the Incas and the Spanish. And you’d be correct to surmise that his theory about the factors that tipped the balance to favor the Spanish have something to with guns, germs, and steel!

The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder (1927, Literature). A 1928 novel by the Pulitzer Prize-winning Wilder, set in the Peru of 200 years ago. The story, about five travelers who are killed when a bridge built by the Incas collapses, is told from the point of view of a Franciscan missionary.

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann (2005, History). Mann portrays the richness of culture and history that already existed before the arrival of European settlers. And contrary to popular belief, what he describes is not remote villages in a pristine wilderness, but a series of populous, sophisticated societies stretching from South America, through Mexico, and up the U.S. Mississippi Valley.

At Play in the Fields of the Lord by Peter Matthiessen (1965, Literature). A wild tale about the impact of outsiders on an indigenous tribe, set in the Peruvian Amazon.

Little Tiny Teeth by Aaron J. Elkins (2007, Mystery). When a forensics professor joins an Amazon riverboat expedition, he expects a vacation. But in a jungle full of predators, he realizes the humans may be the deadliest of all. (We promise, this won’t happen to you—well, it probably won’t …)

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsessions in the Amazon by David Grann (2009, Biography/ Memoir). This riveting, real-life adventure tale bounces between a biography of Colonel Percy Harrison Fawcett and the author’s own quest to find out what happened to the great explorer, who disappeared in the Brazilian Amazon in 1925. (Although set in the Brazilian Amazon, we’ve included this book because it gives a good sense of exploration in the mysterious Amazon forest).

The Mapmaker’s Wife: A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon by Robert Whitaker (2004, History) Colonial politics, the travails of a cartographer, and a good old-fashioned murder all add intrigue to this absorbing tale of 18th-century European exploration of the Amazon and one woman’s quest to find her husband deep in the jungle.

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard (2005, History/ Biography). In the truth is stranger than fiction realm, this is a gripping account of a journey to the Amazon by Teddy Roosevelt late in his life—and one that almost ended his life.

Suggested Film & Video

Argentina Blessed by Fire (2005, Drama) A film about the Falklands War (Malvinas War) and its aftermath, as told from the point of view of an Argentinean soldier looking back at his experiences two decades later. In Spanish with subtitles.

101 The Motorcycle Diaries (2004, Biopic) This nicely done coming-of-age film follows a 23-year-old Che Guevara (played by Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal) and his friend Alberto Granado (played by Argentine actor Rodrigo de la Serna) on a motorcycle journey across South America. Spanish with subtitles.

The Official Story (1985, Drama) As Alicia searches for more information about her adopted daughter’s birth mother, she begins to uncover the history and extent of “the Disappeared”— political prisoners held captive by Argentina’s ruling military government. In Spanish with subtitles.

Operation Finale (2018, Drama/History) In 1960, Israeli spies travel to Argentina to undertake a daring mission to capture notorious Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann and bring him to justice.

Chile No (2012, Drama). Set in the 1980s and based on an unpublished play by Antonio Skarmeta, this Chilean drama explores the role of advertising in General Augusto Pinochet’s campaign for re-election. The film has been highly praised for its dark humor and cynical take on modern democracy but received mixed reviews in Chile.

Missing (1982, Drama). When an expat writer living in Chile during the 1973 coup goes missing, his wife and father-in-law (played by Jack Lemmon) must navigate complex and dangerous political waters to search for him. A gripping portrayal directed by Costa-Gavras.

The Battle of Chile (1975-1979, Documentary). A three-part documentary series about the 1973 coup d’etat that deposed President Salvador Allende and raised General Augusto Pinochet to power. Unique in that it was filmed over four years in Chile as events were unfolding.

Brazil City of God (2003, Foreign) The film follows a group of friends from the 1960s through the 80s as they grow up in a Brazilian shantytown—ironically named “the City of God”. The film deals frankly with violence, drugs, poverty, and other topics that can be hard to watch, but was considered an instant classic by critics. The original title is Cidade de Deus.

Favela Rising (2005, Documentary) A documentary about the work of Anderson Sa, a reformed drug trafficker who formed a non-profit group that promotes music and education in the favelas (shantytowns) of Brazil.

The Mission (1986, Historical Drama) This visually stunning period drama (with Robert De Niro) is about a group of Jesuits trying to convert indigenous tribes by Iguassu Falls. But suddenly, everything they have worked for is thrown into disarray when the land their mission stands on goes from being Spanish territory to Portuguese.

The Mechanism (2018, Political Drama) Netflix TV Show, loosely based of true events. A scandal erupts in Brazil during an investigation of alleged government corruption via oil and construction companies.

102 Peru Fitzcarraldo (1982, Adventure) The story of an obsessive rubber baron who is determined to build an opera house in Iquitos (the gateway to the Peruvian jungle) and will go to incredible lengths to achieve his goal.

The Ghosts of Machu Picchu (2005, Documentary) This PBS-production goes deep into the history of this legendary site, questioning why it was ever built and why it was abandoned.

Contracorriente (Undertow) (2009, Drama) A Peruvian fisherman loves his pregnant wife, but is haunted by the ghost of his drowned male lover. Winner of the 2010 World Cinema Audience Award at Sundance. (In Spanish with English subtitles, available on various streaming services.)

Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Adventures: Return to the Amazon produced by PBS (2008, Documentary) In the 1980s, Jean-Michel accompanied his famous underwater filmmaker father, Jacques Cousteau, on an expedition down the Amazon River. Twenty-five years later, her returns with his children.

Asu Mare (2013, Comedy/Biopic) The story of the rise to fame of stand-up comedian Carlos Alcántara, who grew up fatherless and in a poor community in Lima and was a member of the popular Peruvian sitcom Pataclaun. Wildly successful, Asu Mare became the second biggest box office hit in Peru. Spanish with English subtitles.

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004, Biopic) The only film that Asu Mare couldn’t top for box office success, The Motorcycle Diaries follows a 23-year-old medical student, Ernesto (soon-to-be “Che”) Guevara de la Serna (played by Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal), and his friend, a 29- year old biochemist, Alberto Granado (played by Argentine actor Rodrigo de la Serna) on a road trip through South America by dilapidated old motorcycle (and by raft, truck, and foot) in 1952. Spanish with English subtitles.

In Search of History: Lost City of the Incas produced by the History Channel (2005, Documentary) An informative overview of fabled Machu Picchu, including the story of its rediscovery in 1911.

The Naked Jungle (1954, Adventure) Deep in the South American jungle, a swath of ravenous ants are eating everything in sight, and Heston’s cocoa plantation is right in their path. Also in harm’s way is his new mail-order bride, played by Eleanor Parker. Not for serious cultural study; just a lot of fun.

103 Useful Websites

Overseas Adventure Travel World Weather www.oattravel.com www.intellicast.com www.weather.com Overseas Adventure Travel Store www.wunderground.com www.oatshop.com Basic Travel Phrases (80 languages) Overseas Adventure Travel Frequently www.travlang.com/languages Asked Questions www.oattravel.com/faq Packing Tips www.travelite.org International Health Information/CDC (Centers for Disease Control) U.S. Customs & Border Protection http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel www.cbp.gov/travel

Electricity & Plugs Transportation Security www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/ Administration (TSA) plugs-and-sockets www.tsa.gov

Foreign Exchange Rates National Passport Information Center www.xe.com/currencyconverter www.travel.state.gov www.oanda.com/converter/classic Holidays Worldwide ATM Locators www.timeanddate.com/holidays www.mastercard.com/atm www.visa.com/atmlocator

104 VACCINATIONS NOW REQUIRED FOR ALL TRAVELERS, SHIP CREW, TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADERS, AND COACH DRIVERS Plus, updated Health & Safety Protocols for our Land Tours

The health and safety of our travelers is always our #1 priority, and we understand travelers are concerned about exploring the world in light of the unprecedented crisis we are currently facing. To ensure your safety and give you peace of mind, we have worked with our regional team and listened to government guidance and feedback from our travelers to create these health and safety protocols for our trips. As we continue to make changes, we will keep our website updated with the latest information.

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS • All travelers, ship crew, and Trip Experience AND UPDATED HEALTH & SAFETY Leaders will have their temperature checked PROTOCOLS FOR SMALL SHIP every time they return to the ship using a non- ADVENTURES contact infrared temperature scanner. • All travelers must be fully vaccinated against • All meals are served by the dining staff— COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure buffets are no longer available. and provide proof of vaccination upon VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS AND boarding the ship. If you are unable to UPDATED HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS provide proof of vaccination upon arrival at FOR SMALL GROUP ADVENTURES ON LAND your destination, you will have to return • All travelers must be fully vaccinated against home at your own expense. COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure. If To meet this requirement, please bring your you are unable to provide proof of vaccination original COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card upon arrival at your destination, you will with you on your trip. The white card must have to return home at your own expense. display your name, type of vaccine, and the To meet this requirement, please bring your date(s) the vaccine was administered. We also original COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card with suggest taking a picture of this card to keep for you on your trip. The white card must display your records as a backup. your name, type of vaccine, and the date(s) • All local Trip Experience Leaders, the vaccine was administered. We also suggest ship staff, and crew will be fully taking a picture of this card to keep for your vaccinated against COVID-19. records as a backup. • All coach drivers will be fully • All local Trip Experience Leaders will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. vaccinated against COVID-19. • All public areas will be sanitized nightly and • All coach drivers will be fully vaccinated all ships are equipped with High Efficiency against COVID-19. Particulate Air (HEPA) filters.

Help us ensure travelers’ safety and health while on our trips. Please follow best health and hygiene practices to prevent the spread of illness—wash your hands regularly and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. Together, we can create a safer travel experience for everyone.

Learn more at www.oattravel.com/covid-update

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111 YOUR TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADER

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