Jaunted

Summer-Signature-Cocktails-Map / Drinking Travel / Peru Travel / South America / → All Tags

Double The Pisco Sour In Peru, Double The Fun

While the summer is at its peak and you're no doubt tired of chugging bottled water under the sun at tourist sites, we're going to hit some of the world's best watering holes and down their famous summer cocktails. Bottoms up!

For many, a trip down to Peru means some serious Machu Picchu trekking, but we're frankly more interested in chasing down the best of the country's official drink: The Pisco Sour. Although Chile also lays claim to this tart concoction, the master of the double-sized, or Catedral, Pisco Sour is definitely in the center of Lima at the Hotel Bolivar.

A member of the classic grand dame hotels of the world, the Bolivar was a home-away-from-home for dignitaries and Hollywood stars like Ava Gardner, who was known to favor the Catedral Pisco Sours of the bar. We'll also freely admit to salivating at the mere mention of any "sour" cocktails, so Lima it is. No need to stay the night at the Gran Hotel Bolivar however, as only the bar and the building's architecture remember the golden days; the rooms leave something to be desired.

more ›

South America / Dangerous Travel / → All Tags

Dangerous Travel: See Crater, Get Sick In Peru

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but just a day trip in Peru can make you sick, too. Dozens of people reported headaches and nausea this week after going to visit a crater possibly caused by a meteorite near Lake Titicaca.

The 22-foot deep hole may have released gases that caused locals and sightseers headaches and nausea. (That, or it was an attack planned by aliens. Paging Will Smith!) While going to see a meteorite crater it isn't a day at Six Flags, but it can be hard to resist the allure of really big, exciting geologic events. How far would you go to get that "wow" vacation photo?

Related Stories:
· Peruvians Get Sick From Apparent Meteorite Crater [Yahoo]
· South America Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Yahoo! News]

Blogs / Chile / Bolivia / Argentina / Peru / South America / Love / → All Tags

For One Travelin' Couple, Love Does Conquer All

What have YOU done for love? Australian couple Cath and Andy took off on a two-month honeymoon across South America, and if you have any romantic illusions about the aphrodisiac of travel, their blog A Journey To The Altar And South America will soon unburden you of them. Lucky llama fetuses in La Paz. A human sacrifice museum in Arequipa, Peru. A broken toe in... oh, that was just the bachelorette party.

Their time in South America is drawing to a close at the end of the month, so go over there and wish them a slightly less eventful last few weeks.

[Photo: Cath & Andy]

Google Earth / South America / Maps / Google / → All Tags

Google Earth's New Diplomatic Incident

It wasn't too long ago that a village of Germans was up in arms over Google Earth's misnaming of Mount Hitler near Munich. Now there are much greater problems stirring, and this time Google Earth hasn't misnamed a village, but rather moved it into another country.

The government of Chile (along with many Chileans) are quite unhappy to see on Google Earth that the village of Villa O'Higgins is now shown as lying in Argentina. Villa O'Higgins might be small, but it's named after a Chilean independence hero and they definitely want it to remain in Chile. Google Earth says "we are working with our partners to get more precise data for the region," though surely a request from the Chilean government should already carry some weight?

Related Stories:
· Google Earth Moves a Village [Reuters]
· Google Earth Your Way to Mount Hitler [Jaunted]

South America / nature / → All Tags

Waterfalls New, Old and For Sale

We love lists of the world's biggest stuff. What we don't love is when they keep changing them. Recently the Gocta waterfall near Chachapoyas in Peru was "discovered" and added to the list of the world's tallest waterfalls. Of course, a big bunch of Andean inhabitants have known about it for eons but they were trying to keep it a bit hush-hush: Being on those big lists isn't all it's cracked up to be, when every Tom, Dick and Harry starts traipsing by your front door for a five minute photo-op.

What gets us about the Gocta is not so much the debate about whether or not tourist access should be improved (there's a plan to shorten the 5-hour hike to get there by building a road and opening it all to visitors from 2007) but whether it's actually as big as it sounds. News reports reckon it's now the third tallest waterfall in the world, but when you go to the experts at the World Waterfall Database it ranks a relatively measly 15th; although they do agree on the height of around 2,530 feet. Hmm. It's very unsettling, all this indecision: Better stay home til they make up their minds, in case we visit the wrong waterfall. Better still, stay home with our own waterfall, currently for sale on E-bay.

[Image via MountainGypsy/Flickr]

Related stories:
What Exactly Is a Waterfall? [World Waterfall Database]
Waterfall For Sale on E-bay [Newsday.com]

Amazing-Race / Google Maps / South America / → All Tags

Amazing Race 9: Brokeback Brotas

Click Here To Go Straight To Chasing Racers Map

Since the Amazing Race returned to its "Classic Coke" format, we figured we would give the show a proper mashup. his map will update every week in the days after the show.  Send along tips, rumors, gossip, locations and spoilers to our map editors, become a member and comment on the stories below, and add to the Jaunted-Flickr photo pool to get in on the fray.  Enjoy.

Episode 2

Last night we got to witness some things we wanted to see--the Nerds conduct a science experiment, some things we knew we would see--the Jocks hitting on the Double Ds, and some things we never need to see again--a sixty year old frail women dangling from a rope.  Wake up in São Paulo Brazil rush off to the Edificio Copan building, only to find out you are in for a day of hurry up and wait.  Yup, that sounds about right for the second leg of "a race around the world."  Once our heros boarded the slow bus out of São Paulo things began to get interesting.  

more ›

Amazing-Race / Google Maps / South America / → All Tags

Amazing Race 9: The Powerful Substance of Race

Click Here To Go Straight To Chasing Racers Map

Since the Amazing Race returned to its "Classic Coke" format, we figured we would give the show a proper mashup. This map will update every week in the days after the show. Send along tips, rumors, gossip, locations and spoilers to our map editors, become a member and comment on the stories below, and add to the Jaunted-Flickr photo pool to get in on the fray. Enjoy.

Episode 1

Can you come back from jumping the shark? Of course you can. Last season, the Amazing Race had its "Cousin Oliver" moment when the show turned into an unwatchable "Family Edition" format. But we are a forgiving group here at Jaunted, and we welcome back our beloved "classic mode" Amazing Race, warts and all.

This week's premiere started off per usual, with Phil introducing the race, and each team introducing themselves. These intros quickly put the teams into nice, manageable, stereotypical boxes: Southern racists, bickering couple, gay dudes, your token sexagenarians, oh, and don't forget the always entertaining mother/daughter action.

After his usual race preamble, which this season took place at Red Rocks, Colorado, Phil sent the kids off to São Paulo Brazil.

more ›