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For a copy of our privacy policy visit lonelyplanet.com/ privacy. OUR READERS AUTHOR THANKS Many thanks to the travelers who used the Regis St Louis last edition and wrote to us with helpful I am grateful to the countless locals, expats hints, useful advice and interesting and friends who helped me along the way. In anecdotes. particular, I’d like to thank Christopher Jimenez Aaron Strathearn, Adeline Jeancler, Alan in Guayaquil, John and Eva in Quito, Claudio Maher, Alex Curry, Analisa Areyan, Angie Jones, Cruz and Aura on Floreana, Christoph Köhncke Antony Reed, Bernard Tarkali, Bob Domhof, for more Floreana insight, Jacqueline Bruns on Brian Sincock, Cagdas Citirikkaya, Lisbeth Isabela and fellow Eden shipmates Ryan, Sa- Nørholm, Carly Richardson, Caspar Höyng, rah, Kara, Owian, Amy, Nat, Havard and Mette. Charlotte Stichele, Christian Schuhmann, As always, big thanks to my partner in crime Cortney Cooper, Cristobal Lamarca, Daniel Cassandra and daughters, Magdalena and Badenas, Debbie Spicer, Dee McCombie, Don Genevieve, who joined me on the road in Brazil. Plimer, Douglas Burton, Elaine Kesten, Elena Morris, Ellen Brookes, Ellis Polin, Emma Sealey, Sandra Bao Emma Townsin, Florian Hoefliger, Frank Thom- This was the first time I’ve returned to Bue- son, Gorgonio Ruiz, Gu Xu, Hannah Small, nos Aires without seeing my godmother, Elsa Helen Rossdale, Helene Wallach, Henry Twinch, Mallarini, who had passed earlier in the year. Janet Clough, John Hunkler, Jon Wisloff, Josh I’ll miss her welcoming arms and smiles. Many Hollick-Kenyon, Katja Rantala, Katryn Mercer, thanks to Graciela and Silvia Guzmán, Lucas Ken Bastiaensen, Kristen Kiely, Lai Fatt, Lars Markowiecki, Lisa Power, Sylvia Zapiola, Madi Jensen, Lisbeth Nørholm, Louise Gungaram, Lang, Jed Rothenburg, Ivan Carrasco and Maria Cortese, Mark Candey, Martin Hell- Claudina Galiñarez (and family). Cariños to wagner, Matt Elliott, Mónica Puma, Nicholas my parents, Fung and David Bao, and brother, McPhee, Nicola Mitchell, Ofir Magdaci, Omar Daniel. Finally, lots of love to my husband, Ben Medina, Peter Westöö, Rachel Saum, Reinhold Greensfelder. Grawe, Ricardo Blasco, Robert Moltmaker, Rory O’Brien, Rosie Fowler, Rosie Leutzinger, Sara Celeste Brash Lopes, Stefan Lissinna, Steve Mirro, Teresa In Guyana thanks to Kayla, Justin and Sebas- Meadows, Thijs Plegt, Tobias van Leijsen, Uwe tian DeFreitas, Rustom, Leroy, Vanda, Shirley, Lask, Zahyra Ceballos Michelle, Lisa, Joan, Fernando, Salvador, 1083 Andrea and Loverboy. In Suriname thanks to Tom Masters Kooksie, Bert, Paul and Joke and Peter and in I’m supremely grateful to Ben Rodríguez French Guiana to my bearshapedshere travel and his team at Osprey Expeditions in buddy Eileen Smith. Caracas, who helped me at every step of the way around Venezuela. Another huge Gregor Clark debt of thanks to Paul Stanley of Angel Eco- Muchísimas gracias and muito obrigado Tours, who took so much time to read this BEHIND THE SCENES to the many Brazilians, Uruguayans and chapter and suggest changes and additions. resident expatriates who shared their love Elsewhere in Venezuela, thanks to Claudia of country and local knowledge with me, and Francisco in Choroní, Gustavo Viloria especially Maira, Alex, Gloria, Tino, Miguel, of Gravity Tours in Catatumbo, Renate and Monica, Karen, Pasca, Alain, Youri, Cecilia, José Luis of Casa del Sol and Alan Highton of Juan Manuel, Susana, Bilingue, Lucia and Catatumbo Tours in Mérida, José Yepez Vera Rodney. Back home, abrazos to Gaen, Meigan in Canaima, Carlos Acosta in Caracas, John and Chloe, who always make coming home Carlos for his driving and to the dozens of the best part of the trip. other posada owners, travel agents and trav- Alex Egerton elers I met on the way. In Colombia thanks to the usual suspects: Carolyn McCarthy Olga Mosquera, Laura Cahnspeyer, Oscar Many thanks go to coordinator Regis St Gilede, Melissa Montoya, Nicolas Solorzano, Louis and the many who helped me in my Richard, Felipe Goforit, Tyler, Alexa and Oscar research. Payan – abrazos para todos. Also a big shout to Kevin Raub, Tom Masters and MaSovaida Kevin Raub for being wonderfully supportive colleagues. Thanks to my wife, Adriana Schmidt Raub, And big thanks to Kent ‘¿Q mas?’ and Warren who sure does do her best to teach me the for the write-up pad. Brazilian dance when I run into roadblocks on the road (even though I don’t dance!); Brian Klupfel MaSovaida Morgan; and my partners-in- Thanks always to Goyo for friendship and crime on this book, Regis St Louis and Gregor sage advice, and getting me a few gigs along Clark. On the road, Malu Sabatino, Daniella the way; to MaSovaida for putting her faith Barbosa, Helena Costa, Rodrigo Angel, Ion in me; to my fellow authors Michael and Paul David, Kely Zimath, Thiago Luiz, Marcia Ga- for their input; to Ximena at Casa Fusion zola, Edu Passarelli, Vanessa Carvalho, Mario for making some connections; to Michael Saraiva, Craig Smith and Lucas Mello. Dirninger of Andes Expeditions for the moun- taineering information and the amazing Vien- Paul Smith nese dessert; to Tjalle Boorsma of Armonia, Thanks to everybody who was so generous Ruth of Bird Bolivia, and Rodrigo Mariaca of with their information and time while I was Chalalan for encouraging my bird obsession; on the road researching. Special thanks to to Derren at Gravity Extreme for info galore; Christine Hostettler (Pro Cosara) and Karina to Jane and Dianne of Lonely Planet for their Atkinson (Para La Tierra) for their hospitality patience in schooling me on the CMS; to and great conservation work. Special thanks Roscio Ugartche in La Paz for kindness and to Carol and Shawn for making sure that restaurant advice; to Stacey and Peggy for coming home is more fun than being away! covering for me in NY; above all to my family and Eli, who encouraged and waited for me back home. This guidebook was produced Assisting Editors Michelle THIS BOOK by the following: Bennett, Nigel Chin, Bruce This 13th edition of Lonely Destination Editor Evans, Kate Evans, Helen Planet’s South America on MaSovaida Morgan Koehne, Kellie Langdon, Char- lotte Orr, Christopher Pitts a shoestring guidebook was Product Editor Kate James researched and written by Senior Cartographer Cover Researcher Naomi Parker Regis St Louis, Sandra Bao, Mark Griffiths Celeste Brash, Gregor Clark, Thanks to Paul Harding, Alex Egerton, Brian Kluepfel, Book Designer Indra Kilfoyle, Claire Murphy, Tom Masters, Carolyn McCa- Virginia Moreno Kirsten Rawlings, Dianne rthy, Kevin Raub, Paul Smith, Assisting Cartographers Schallmeiner, Angela Tinson, Phillip Tang and Lucas Vidgen. Julie Dodkins, Valentina Amanda Williamson Kremenchutskaya, James Leversha 1084 Phillip Tang ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to those who kept near (virtually or literally) while I was far: Lisa N’paisan, Shane, Climate map data adapted from Peel MC, Lee, Vek Lewis, Wendy Risteska, Ben and Finlayson BL & McMahon TA (2007) ‘Updat- Waimei Garcia-Lee, Craig Burgess, Jocsan L ed World Map of the Köppen-Geiger Climate Alfaro, Anna Glayzer, Geraldine Galvaing and Classification’, Hydrology and Earth System BEHIND THE SCENES Ernesto A Alanis Cataño. Sciences, 11, 1633 44. Lucas Vidgen Cover image: Scarlet Macaw, Parque Nacion- Thanks once again to the Argentines for mak- al Yasuní, Ecuador; Danita Delimont Stock/ ing a country where it’s such a joy to travel AWL © and work. On the road, to Guillermo Santos for driving way out of his way just to make sure I got there and ‘Peluca’ Dominguez for the serious schooling on San Marcos history. To América for an amazing year on top of an amazing decade and to Sofía and Teresa for being there, and being there when I got back. ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 1085 Index ABBREVIATIONS to/from Suriname 927-8 Ayacucho (Per) 866-9 96, 124, 186 Arg Argentina to/from Uruguay 960-1 Bóvedas Históricas budgeting 55 Bol Bolivia to/from Venezuela 1030 Uspallata (Arg) 138 business hours 184 Bra Brazil within Argentina 186 Chan Chan (Per) 872-3 climate 54 Chi Chile within Bolivia 279 Ciudad Perdida (Col) consulates 182 572-3 Col Colombia within Brazil 420 costs 181, 182, 184 El Fuerte (Bol) 255 Ecu Ecuador within Chile 538 culture 177 Estación Astronómica FG French Guiana within Colombia 633 currency 55 Muisca (Col) 558 Guy Guyana within Ecuador 731 cycling 186 Huaca Pucllana (Per) 810 Par Paraguay within French Guiana 749 drinks 180 Inka-Rakay (Bol) 241 Per Peru within Guyana 760, 767 electricity 182 Kuélap (Per) 890 Sur Suriname within Paraguay 800 embassies 182 Las Huacas del Sol y de la Uru Uruguay within Peru