1 comments about Chile: The Art of Wine.

1. Sara Matthews' photographs portray the wine country of Chile in breathtaking detail, from dew drops on leaves to mountain panoramas. I especially liked the chapter called "The Flow", with images of flowing water, fog, and wine. Her people pictures show that she has a good rapport with her subjects, bringing out their best. This is wine photography taken to a new level.

4 comments about Attending Marvels: A Patagonian Journal.

1. This is an odd book. It is hard to find, even for an experienced haunter of used book stores, and not many people have read it. But once you vicariously join the Scarrit Expedition hunting fossils in the Patagonian wilderness in the early 1930s, you may never completely recover. "Attending Marvels" is a trip into several lost worlds at once: most obviously that of the "whole lot of other ---ontotheres" that dominated South American fauna before the Isthmus of Panama rose, but also into the almost incredibly isolated and harsh lives of the Patagonians. But the trip that takes the reader furthest is into Simpson's outlook. He is endlessly curious, delighted with everything in the natural world, and able to appreciate and communicate with people who are as culturally different from him as a fellow human could be. This wide-eyed gusto for the world shows in his lyrical descriptions of such unpromising subjects as hedgehogs, yerba mate, and of course, bits of fossilised bone. True, there are also national politics, academic politics, martial law and a homicidal maniac but none of these are as important to Simpson or as vivid to the reader as the fossil snake. It is a prime example of the scientist/naturalist world view at its best. "Atending Marvels" is also great fun to read. It is full of wonderful anecdotes and some very funny passages; some lines ("You can't possibly kill anyone before the 15th of the month"; "This is your Patagonia--keep it beautiful", "Es triste, non?") have become code phrases among my friends and family. So take the effort to find this book; the trip is worth the trouble.



2. The book is well done overall. But I thought Dr. Simpsons attitudes toward Patagonian poeple and culture were through a myoptic pair of American/European glasses.

   It is fun to read this book as the second in a trilogy. The first is Darwin's "Voyage of the Beagle", the third is Bruce Chatwin's "In Patagonia". Chatwin's appreciation of Patagonian people and culture is much more to my liking.

   Don Bailey jeep1104@yahoo.com




3. I first read this book many years ago, and it is one of the best books I have ever read. I started reading not knowing anything about Patagonia, or the subject of the book, but was quickly swept into a real life adventure. I have taken several trips with a vague destination and purpose in mind, but found the journey was far more interesting than the goal. This is one of those adventures. The book is about a constant unfolding landscape of people, places, and things, where each new discovery is a suprise to the reader. Too bad it is out of print, but my copy is not for sale.



4. I bought this books years ago at an estate sale of a anthro. prof. at a local college. Estate and garage sales are a fantastic source of cheap books.

   I agree with the criticism of the Eurocentric attitudes, but hey Bernal Diaz had even harsher attitudes in his Conquest of New Spain - and that book is still worth reading.

   I often recommend this book to friends . If I had only been aware that it was out of print I would have held on to it.

   Time to look for another copy...........

No comments about Atlas Argentina/Chile/Uruguay/Paraguay/Brasil/Bolivia (Firestone).

4 comments about Chile Experience Travel Guide.

1. You will absolutely, positively not find another guidebook on Chile that can compare with this one. Terrifically comprehensive and loaded with color photographs - many of them taken by the author - this book is obviously a labor of love. Highly recommended, whether you're looking to read up on specifc topics or going straight through, cover to cover.



2. If you are a casual traveler, you might find something you weren't expecting. This is so complete, you'll find just what you're looking for. If you are an outdoor-adventure type, this is a must have for the time of your life. If you like history and architecture, you'll find it here. Chile, that skinny little country is full of fun and adventure. Josh Howell is the perfect guide.



3. Chile's very own publisher has finally produced and English language complement to their well established line of Chilean guide books and maps. Travel Guide: Chile Experience is much more than a guide book. It's a lesson in culture, history, flora, fauna, gastronomy and more!

   Written by a man who has spent the better part of his adult life in Chile, this book offers a perspective of Chile no Andean traveler should be without. From history and flora to indigenous culture, architecture and adventure this book educates the reader, adding depth to hikes, tours and conversation.

   With maps, precise explanations and well researched tour suggestions and contact information, this book also offers detailed and digestible information for travelers interested in adventure and remote locations.

   Finally, with charts, topographical maps and satellite imagery, this book pulls ahead of the leading pack of travel guides. Apart from the flowing, easy-to-read writing style, the maps and excellent graphics truly make this book a must have.




4. Traveling is not a dream. Traveling is a need. Man, in state of nature, is an explorator. A traveler.
   So begins Chile Experience, a very interesting and complete travel guide.
   It's not an ordinary guide. At your bookshop's, you can find - you know, this kind of so-called guide which topics look like dictionary definitions... or books full of pictures, in which explanations are non-existent or so. Chile Experience includes both, and, moreover, it has been written by a Chile's lover, I guess.

   From Atacama desert to Patagonian pampa, from Chile's climate to its history, this book involves the reader in the discovery of a culture, a country, a Nature whose riches we can hardly imagine.
   The proverb says that traveling makes youth. Find a second youth in Chile - through this guide !

No comments about Clandestine in Chile.

5 comments about Footprint Argentina Handbook : The Travel Guide.

1. We travelled around Argentina out of season using this guide and the Rough Guide, and found that we turned time and again to the Footprint Guide for reliable and up-to-date information. I broke my ankle in Salta, but thanks to this guide, we were booked into a fantastic hotel, and later spent a few nights luxuriating in a gorgeous and fantastic value for money estancia in Pumamarca, which went some way towards saving the holiday from disaster. If you're thinking of going to Argentina, go now, and take this guide with you!



2. I returned from Argentina just two weeks ago, and I used this book exclusively. I usually use the "Let's Go" guides when I travel, and I didn't like this one nearly as much. Too many superlatives throughout the book - unfortunately not everything can be amazing or fantastic - so after a while there was really no way to differenciate the truly fantastic (the falls or Perito Moreno Glacier), from the just so so things. And regardless of what the book says, unless you love to eat beef and pork every meal, the food is terrible. Very mediocre pasta and pizzas everywhere, and vegetarians are highly restricted. The food was definitely the lowlight of our trip. If interested in hiking and the outdoors - plan on spending the majority of your time way down south. El Calafate, El Chalten, and Ushuaia are all truly amazing areas. And if you can fit the Falls in, they are definitely worth the trip. The prices in the book were pretty accurate, although things tended to be a bit higher. But it is still quite inexpensive. We thought the book did a poor job of letting you know just how difficult it would be to get to many of the wilderness areas without your own car or hiring an expensive guide. Another thing to remember when planning your trip is that it is much cheaper in the North, and the buses are nicer and more plentiful. Overall, I thought it was a good book, but the authors could have been a bit more honest about the shortcomings of the country.



3. Everything about this book, from phone numbers to accommodation reviews, has been almost laughably wrong. I've never felt compelled to write a review on amazon before, but this book has been so inaccurate I think I should warn people. The only reason anyone should buy this book is to do the exact OPPOSITE of whatever it says. I doubt this author has even been to the places she writes about, that's how consistently wrong this book is. It is impossible to locate a copyright date, and they probably did that on purpose, considering many places have closed and info is obviously outdated. I understand that some places change over time, but I've given this book a chance in 10 different places throughout Argentina and the advice here has failed miserably.



4. There was a day when Rough Guide and Lonely Planet were the best guides for travelers that sought to leave the tour groups behind and explore on their own. But slowly, year by year, Footprint has improved, and now this 4th edition is one of the best guides for Argentina that you can buy. *Note that this review is for the the 4th edition, other reviews below are probably refering to the 3rd Edition.
   
   I took five travel guides with me to explore Argentina/Patagonia, and I found myself consistently reaching for Footprint first. It is the most current (2006) and the guide consistently listed quality accommodations and good restaurants, some of which were exemplary. The city maps in the guide are excellent. All the restaurants and hotels are well marked on each map. Kudos.
   
   Footprint Argentina's background section (history, religion, culture etc.) is well written, brief, yet informative. There is an abundance of website references throughout the text and a website listing for almost every accommodation = excellent.
   
   I spent five weeks exploring Patagonia and found Footprint to be the best single guide to have. More than 200 pages in this Argentinean guide are devoted to this region, including a section on Chilean Patagonia. If you purchase "Time Out Patagonia" (see my review) you will have the best two guides possible for Patagonia.
   
   On the downside Footprint uses a cumbersome letter system instead of just telling you the price for accommodations (i.e., LL=$200 plus, L=$150-$200, AL=$101-$150, A,B,C,D,E,F etc. -- putting the legend at the back of the book - a serious hassle). It also fails to tell you what is the price range for the restaurants; so at one eatery you could pay $10 for your meal, then have a $35 bill at another. Not good. The descriptions of the restaurants are insipid and verge on being meaningless: "tasty food", "cosy", "very popular", "delicious food". Whereas, other good guides (Rough Guide - also highly recommended - see my review) give you pointers: "best grilled shrimp ever" / "the steaks here are the best in town" etc.
   
   Bottom line: this is a very good guide for Argentina and the best guide for those that are going to Patagonia. Highly recommended



5. We used this book for 3 months as we lived in Buenos Aires with few, if any, complaints.
   
   Footprint has been writing its South America guidebook series for 80+ years. It is simply the most well-informed guidebook for this continent. Compared to Lonely Planet, there is more information packed into Footprint and the quality of the materials and printing are superior.
   
   The maps are a level above the competition, especially the sad, gray smudges that pass for maps in the Lonely Planet. The multi-page country maps at the back of this series are by far the best maps in any guidebook printed today.
   
   5 stars. The best.

No comments about Santiago Street Map Plano del Gran.

No comments about Lonely Planet Chile and Easter Island (Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit).

No comments about Atlas de Rutas 2005: Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay.

No comments about Travels in South America, during the Years 1819-20-21: Containing an Account of the Present State of Brazil, Buenos Ayres, and Chile. Volume 1.