In the Valley: The Pucara de Tilcara and the Devil’s Throat

Just follow the dog shit.

Or were they llamas’?

The path to Garganta del Diablo was not well-marked, but animal wastes littered the well-trodden path. It is impossible to get lost.

Cacti and a sprawl of hardy sagebrush blanketed the wide plain as I climbed under the relentless sun.

The heat and the thin mountain air form a potent recipe for panting easily. Each time I felt my energy dipped, I turned around to look at the gorgeous colourful mountains of the Quebrada de Humahuaca and I instantly felt rejuvenated.

Such is the awe of the magnificent valley of the UNESCO declared Quebrada de Humahuaca in the North of Argentina. And what I was doing was starting a roughly 7km hike from the small mountain town of Tilcara.

Trinidad Ruins: Paraguay’s Lonely Jesuit Gem

It was 4:30 pm when I stepped onto the ruins.

The sun was beginning to set on this winter afternoon, casting a light orange glow over the remnants of a once thriving community.

Bright green moss covered the red sandstone structures, adding a slippery touch to it. I watched my steps while admiring the Spanish-styled architecture embellished with native Guarani influences.

There were not many people: I counted fewer than 10. Yet, these ruins were declared UNESCO World Heritage Status back in 1993; a title that usually comes with a horde of visitors. Not so with these ruins.

There was a rumour that this site – the Trinidad Ruins and its sister site the Jesús Ruins – is the least visited UNESCO site in the world. Is it true?

San Ignacio Mini: A Culture Union of Jesuits and Guarani

I walked to the side of the ruins to avoid the huge group of middle-aged tourists strolling to the entrance of the church.

At this area, and to the back of the ruins, I was alone.

No matter how damaged they are, these sharp, edged red sandstone structures look photogenic from every angle. I had my own mini-photoshoot. No photobombers, no weird stares, just me and my trusty Gopro.

The sun was beaming strong in San Ignacio, a small town 56km northeast of Posadas, capital of Misiones Province. This unique town feels different from the rest of Argentina.

Ischigualasto Provincial Park: The Moon Valley of Argentina

It was eerily silent.

There were only the white crumbly ground, dry desert shrubs and sedimentary rocks of otherworldly shapes. Lots and lots of these irregular rock formations; almost like they’re trophies in an outdoor natural museum.

Time and again, I thought to myself, “Where am I?”

If it wasn’t for the 15 or so tourists, I’d have imagine being lost on another planet. I wouldn’t be surprised if a one-eyed, four-legged monster dripping green gooey saliva jumped out from under the rocks and attacked us.

Indeed, this looked like a scene out of a Starwars movie, on one of the desert-like planets with alien inhabitants.

We were walking under the beaming sun towards the Cancha de Bochas (The Balls’ Field) in Ischigualasto Provincial Park.

50 Shades of Red: Awe-Inspired by Talampaya National Park

I tilted my head up, and stared at the majestic red canyons.

All 150m of it.

Like a 7-year old in a candy store, I was in absolute awe. The canyons surrounded me on both sides, like all sorts of colourful candies surrounding the little boy, and I gasped in all its glory.

Millions of years of wind, rain and erosion form a dramatic landscape of red hills and bizarre rock formations. Layers of different shades of red painted the walls of the canyons, almost in a parallel fashion. How do they look so smooth, like a natural art masterpiece, is a mystery to me.

Now I understood why this place – the 215,000 hectares (a half-million acres) Talampaya National Park – is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

4 Steps to Apply for a Paraguay Visa in Buenos Aires

If you’re like me and want to visit every country one day…

Or visit as many UNESCO sites as possible…

Or for whatever reason, decided to go to Paraguay and require a tourist visa, here’s how you get it at one of the nearest capital city, Buenos Aires.

Magical Disney Forest in the Los Arrayanes National Park

The clouds looked fluffy in the clear blue sky. The lake water shined a bright crystal blue, as it reflected the strong afternoon sun. The dark green forests and snow-capped mountains lined both sides of the lake – they seemed never-ending. I stood on the deck of the ferry, as it rides tranquilly along Lake Nahuel Huapi.

An official photographer on-board busily snaps photos of us passengers, hoping to earn a quick buck.

The Spanish-speaking guide called us in as we began to dock in the port after 55 min.

As a kiasu Singaporean, I rushed to the exit and walked hastily ahead of the group – with good reasons. It was 3:30 pm and the Los Arrayanes National Park, or Arrayanes Forest, is empty right now.

Cerro Castillo Day Hike: From Village to Castle

I climbed over the shoulder-height fence into the private property, only to be stared at by… cows.

A huge mob of moo-ing cows.

I stared at them, they stared back. It felt as if they’re gonna charge at me at any moment. We were separated by only a thin wooden fence.

A second wooden gate leading to the trailhead was closed. What should I do?

I stood at the bottom of the Cerro Castillo National Reserve contemplating my next decision.

The Marble Caves: Chile’s Natural Art Masterpiece

I gotta admit…

I’m pretty disappointed.

The Marble Caves did not live up to my expectations.

There, I said it. I’m probably the only one who feels this way, but I have my reasons.

Don’t get me wrong, the caves were gorgeous. But after hearing my misadventures and knowing all the trouble I went through to be there, and what I saw, you’ll understand why.

Cuevas de las Manos: Time-Travel with Ancient Art

I remember back when I was a kid in art classes, we would place our hands onto a piece of drawing paper, and trace the outline of the fingers with coloured pencils.

We would repeat it over and over again – with the other hand – until the whole piece of paper is filled with the outlines of our hands. Some were smooth, others were shaky.

I’d look at it with a satisfied smirk, submit it to the teacher and rush out to play with the other boys.

I never gave much thought to art classes as a little boy, which makes it ironic now that as a young man, I love to see ancient, tribal art. The Cuevas de las Manos (literally Caves of the Hands) in Argentinean Patagonia is just that: ancient artwork of hand outlines, yet the instance I knew about it, I went out of the way to see it.