Cinzia Mucciante

Travel Specialist
Cinzia4

It’s a pity I don’t follow my own advice, “don’t drink alcohol when you first arrive at high altitude, and drink plenty of fluids.” but who can resist a few Pisco Sours in Cuzco whilst listening to Andean music – it gives you goosebumps! Or was it the Pisco? (it’s muy fuerto!). But on a serious note the diversity of Latin America really intrigues me. My first trip was 20 years ago, and since then my passion and enthusiasm for the continent has only strengthened. I enjoy returning each year, keen to explore new areas. My last trip was to remote Patagonia – what a highlight! I visited the Torres del Paine National Park, located in Chile Patagonia, and stayed at the fabulous Explora Hotel Salto Chico with awesome views of the Cordillera del Paine. I then crossed the border to the Argentine side and stayed at the Hosteria Los Notros, a cosy hotel facing the Perito Moreno Glacier in El Calafate. Both hotels are the true meaning of ‘a room with a view’!

 

In August 2016, I fulfilled a long held wish to visit the High Arctic; joining the expedition vessel Akademik Sergey Vavilov on a 10-night voyage, starting in Iqaluit – Canada. From there, my voyage explored the wild and remote coastline of southern Baffin Island, before crossing to the ice filled waters of western Greenland. We start the journey with a three hour flight from Canada’s elegant capital city of Ottawa to Iqualit in the Canadian high Arctic. It’s not long before I’ve donned all my warm clothing and climbed into a zodiac (which soon becomes part of our daily routine for exploring). On one of my first zodiac cruises we witnessed thousands of Harp seals laid out on a large ice flow – according to one of naturalist guides this was a rare occurrence. Not only was it rare it was also good news with regards to the chance of seeing Polar bear. After many hours of searching, finally, in the distance, my very first polar bear! Sightings apparently vary from trip to trip (and I have to admit I was a little envious when I heard the next voyage got to see 10 bears). After our incredible day of navigation, the encounter with the seals and polar bear.

 

If you would like to find out more about this voyage, and others like it (including the celebrated North West Passage) or anything in Latin America– please call to discuss your plans and ideas.

 

Places Visited

LATIN AMERICA

Chile: Santiago, Easter Island, Atacama desert, Puerto Montt, Chiloe Island, Puerto Natales, Patagonia, Torres del Paine National Park, Pucon, Lauca National Park, Iquique.

Argentina: Buenos Aires, Salta, Jujuy, Iguazu Falls, Bariloche, Perito Moreno Glacier, Mendoza.

Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Buzios, Belo Horizonte, Ouro Preto, Iguazu Falls, Salvador, Recife, Olinda, Maceio, Manaus, Amazon Jungle.

Peru: Lima, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley (Pisac, Chinchero, Ollantaytambo),  Aguas Calientes, Puno, Huaraz, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Amazon Cruise Brazil to Peru.

Bolivia: La Paz, Lake Titicaca.

Ecuador: Quito, Otavalo, Cuenca, Galapagos Cruise, Amazon Jungle.

Uruguay: Colonia, Montevideo, Punta del Este.

Mexico: Mexico City, Taxco, Oaxaca, Villahermosa, Palenque, Cancun, Chichen Itza, Merida, Copper Canyon, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, San Miguel de Allende, Queretaro, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, Huatulco, San Cristobal de la Casas, Merida, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel.

Cuba: Havana, Vinales, Varadero, Trinidad.

Belize: Belize City, Ambergris Caye.

Panama: Panama City, Panama Canal, Colon, San Lorenzo National Park, Portobelo.

Guatemala: Guatemala City, Antigua, Lake Atitlan, Chichicastenango, Flores.

Costa Rica: San Jose, Poas Volcano National Park, Tortuguero, Osa Peninsula – Lapa Rios Ecolodge, Arenal, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and Manuel Antonio

ARCTIC

Canada: Iqualit, Baffin Island, Monumental Island, Davis Strait, Cumberland Sound

Greenland: Sunneshine Fjord, Illulisat, Sermeq Kujalleq Glacier, Kangerlussuaq

Ship – Akademik Sergey Vavilov

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