I spent about ten months in South America, a good portion of it at my apartment in Buenos Aires, which was a launching point to travel around other parts of the continent. South America is not a difficult place to travel, but it's rewarding nonetheless. Patagonia was one of the best parts: towering rock massifs rise out of dry, brown scrubland and glaciers flow down from their peaks. The Andean countries are poor but full of unique culture and rugged beauty. I went inside a silver mine above what was once the richest city in the world, biked down the world's most dangerous road, and of course climbed up to Machu Picchu. I cruised the Chilean fjords, got to go inside the massive Itaipu dam, and discovered that Bogota and Sao Paulo are not that scary. That is to say nothing of the food - everyone knows Argentine steak but Brazilian meat is every bit as good and Peruvian cuisine is some of the most eclectic and delicious.

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