Visiting Latin America

Most skiers will stay above the base lodge at Villa Colorado. Below this point the trails are mostly rated beginner except adjacent to the Embudo lift where slalom training courses are often set. The highlight of the mountain is still the Silla Colorado which ascends to the top of the mountain. It is the only lift to reach the summit and often closes in inclement weather conditions. The double-griped chairs bounce radically over each of the 23 erector-towers, but the antiquated chair still runs almost as fast as the modern triple chairs that parallel it.

Beginner skiers will find the best trails alongside the Los Zorros T-Bars although Colorado Chico, Pinguino, and the Novicios Farellones lifts provide plenty of alternatives. The El Condor runs are wide, groomed trails with a consistent pitch which will appeal to intermediate skiers. Advanced skiers should try the Cono Este run for a long and steep pitch with a broad view of Valle Nevado.

Expert skiers will find more excitement at El Colorado than at any of the neighboring resorts. Two areas should be investigated. The first is low on the mountain, just above the lowest beginner lifts. Here, the narrow and vertical Corredores chutes and walls are perched side by side between the Embudo lift and the major chute called Falsoembudo (false funnel). Access this cliff area from the top of either the Embudo lift for the lower, shorter drops, or from Zorros for longer runs and Falsoembudo. If the snow is too thin at those lower elevations, explore the chutes to the skier's right of Cono Este. Do not go too far right as these chutes soon fade into unskiable cliffs.

Good moguls are found at the top of Cornisa although they are often interrupted with traverse trails and human obstacles. The best powder at El Colorado is found in the late opening but sheltered Cono Este which also closes early (4.00pm).

There is less backcountry access from El Colorado's lifts than at either of its neighbors. An area which could be explored is the long cliff area between Cono Este and the Embudo lift. This region can be thoroughly scouted from Valle Nevado's access road where a car could be parked for escape. The chutes and bowls are controlled by Valle Nevado's avalanche protection team since many of the snowfields threaten the road.

The best time to visit Rio de Janeiro depends on your interests and preferences for weather.

One of the best times of year to visit Rio de Janeiro is during Carnaval, when the city comes alive with music, dancing, and festivities.

Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro usually takes place in January, February, or March.

If you want to avoid the Carnaval crowds in Rio de Janeiro, visiting outside of the festival months is a good idea.

The weather in Rio de Janeiro does not vary greatly during the year, as the city is located near the equator.

That said, it tends to be hotter from January to March and a bit cooler from June to September.

If you want to visit during the shoulder season, the best time to visit Rio de Janeiro is in May, October, or November.

The best time to visit Buenos Aires depends on your personal preference, but there are a few guidelines that most people follow.

Many people that wonder what is the best time to visit Buenos Aires are concerned about the weather.

Buenos Aires is located in the southern hemisphere, so winters run from June to September and summers from December to March.

If weather is the determining factor in your calculation of the best time to visit Buenos Aires, you should visit any time between December and March.

The spring and summer are also pleasant times to visit Buenos Aires, and there are fewer tourists during these times.

If avoiding crowds is important to you, visiting during April, May, October, or November would be a good idea.

While there is no official best time to visit Buenos Aires, sunny weather and fewer crowds are always nice things to have on holidays in Argentina.

Marriott Hotel Bogota
Address: Av. El Dorado 69b - 53, Bogota, Colombia
Phone: 57 1 4851111

The Marriott hotel in Bogota opened recently as one of the top new luxury hotels in Bogota, Colombia.

The hotel is located in the heart of the business district in Bogota and is conveniently situated just 10 minutes from Bogota's international airport.

The Marriott in Bogota has 264 guest rooms and suites as well as restaurants, lounges, conference rooms, a lap pool, a gym, and a health club.

The decor at the Marriott in Bogota is contemporary. Guest rooms are decorated with brightly colored carpets and dark wood accents. Modern art rounds out the furnishings.

Room rates at the Marriott hotel in Bogota start at 215 USD per night for deluxe rooms.

The best Cuba guidebooks aren't necessarily written by the big guidebook companies. The best guidebook for your trip to Cuba is the one that best fits your travel style and itinerary.

All of the big guidebook companies from Lonely Planet to Let?s Go make at least one Cuba guidebook.

Most guidebook companies make a book on Cuba as a country, but Cuba's diverse territory makes for enough material for a full guidebook on specific places like Havana.

If you are only planning to visit one city in Cuba, getting a specific guidebook for that place is a good idea.

If you plan to visit a lot of places in Cuba, getting a larger guidebook like The Rough Guide to Cuba is a good idea.

When you have determined what size Cuba guidebook you need, shop around for a guidebook that fits your travel style. If you?re backpacking, Lonely Planet, Let?s Go, and the Rough Guide are some of the best Cuba guidebooks.

If you?re going high-end, consider guides like the Wallpaper Guide to Havana, which offers more upscale suggestions for Havana hotels, restaurants, and sightseeing.

If you are travelling to Cuba on a budget, deals on Cuba guidebooks can be found on websites where travelers have returned from Cuba and are selling their books.

One additional tip for finding the best Cuba guidebooks is to check the date the guidebook was published. If it is more than a year old, don?t buy it. Things change so quickly in Cuba that an old Cuba guidebook will be of little use to you now.

Visiting Arequipa is a must in Peru. Located in the Peruvian Andes, Arequipa is a great gateway to exploring the surrounding area.

Arequipa sightseeing highlights include the Santa Catalina Monastery and the Santuarios Andinos Museum, where lies the frozen princess of Ampato.

If you have extra time when visiting Arequipa, you can take a bus tour to the countryside. Buses depart from the main plaza and the trip takes half a day.

From Arequipa you can also go trekking in Colca Canyon. Two and three day trekking tours are popular with many people visiting Arequipa. The views and natural surroundings are stunning. You can see condors and other Peruvian wildlife, and visit traditional towns like Cabanaconde.

If you still have time while visiting Arequipa, you can also visit Misti and Chachani Mountains on a two or three day trek.

Where to stay in Quito is a question many people visiting Ecuador ask themselves.

Quito is a fairly large city and has quite a selection of top quality hotels.

You'll find most of the major US and international hotel chains in Quito.

These include Hilton and Marriott hotels in Quito.

One of the best hotels in Quito is the Hotel Dann Carlton.

The Hotel Dann Carlton is in a nice central location downtown and walkable to the waterfront.

I was last upgraded to a fantastic suite there for a rate of around just US$85 a night.

In Venezuela the highway bridge between CCS airport and Caracas has broken down.

Therefore, the trip between airport and city takes now about 3-4 hours.

There is the so-called "old road", which is not paved all the way, and a rural road that passes a mountain and makes a big detour (some 80 km), but is more reliable, as there are not too many congestions.

Taxis for this route run about $130, so be aware going into Caracas CCS airport.

Montevideo is only about 140 miles from Buenos Aires, so getting there is easy.

You can fly to Buenos Aires (EZE) and take either the hydrofoil or a short flight to Montevideo (MVD).

The hydrofoil ferry from Buenos Aires to Montevideo is the best choice if you're already in Buenos Aires.

Buquebus is the hydrofoil operator that operates ferries to Montevideo.

It's a short 2.5 hour (or 1 hour on the express) ride from the Puerto Madero part of Buenos Aires. Keep in mind that there is a one hour time difference between Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

The ferry to Montevideo from Buenos Aires can cost as low as US$40. It can be up to US$100 if you take a round-trip ferry and get a first-class ticket.

By air, you can check United's Argentina site or Pluna for cheap flights from Buenos Aires to Montevideo.

Flights are known to go as low as US$40 round trip, but are usually around US$100 round trip.

Google Maps is now available for Paraguay.

Google Maps Paraguay shows road and street maps of Paraguay.

These include maps of Paraguayan cities like Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay.

Belize Diving in Ambergris Caye:

Ambergris Caye has the most famous, most spectacular, and all-around best diving in Belize.

Ambergris is a quiet island with lots of charm and solitude, and great SCUBA diving.

The island is a quick 25 minute flight from Belize City Airport (BZE - Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport).

Flights from Belize City to Ambergris are bookable on small charter airlines.

I paid about US$50 per person for roundtrip tickets between the island and the mainland.

Belize is also accessible from major hub cities in the US.

These include cities like Houston, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta, Charlotte as well as New York.

Cool video of monkeys in the Rain Forest at Playa Manuel Antonio