Are you ready to Get South?The gems of South America have been discovered, and they are here waiting for you! The landscapes are awe-inspiring, the cities unique and the culture full of passion. Think you’re ready for a fiery football match, going mad for mate and consuming copious amounts of scrumptious meat and wine? Want to soak up some rays on cool beaches, dive in the Pacific or Atlantic Oceans or ski on unblemished slopes? Well, it’s all here! Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. These three countries lie side by side, each completely unique but together they form one of the most exhilarating, enticing and unforgettable places to travel in the world! The possibilities are endless… Draw yourself into the shadows of the majestic and omnipotent snow capped Andes, hang out with a million penguins, or be mesmerized by giant glaciers shedding chunks of ice in a sea of rugged frozen fields. In this vast land, you’ll also find top-notch rafting, trekking, mountain climbing, diving, fishing, paragliding, horseback riding, mountain biking, skiing and our personal favourite: having a good time.

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CONTENTS

Getting Around Health Tips / Visa InformationVolunteeringResponsible Travel / Trekking TipsPopular FestivalsDon’t leave without trying these21 December 2012ARGENTINA MAPUseful Information / Distance chart Buenos Aires TigreCENTRE MAPLa PlataMar del PlataCórdoba LITORAL MAPRosario ParanáEsteros del IberáPuerto Iguazú CUYO MAPMendozaSan RafaelSan JuanBarrealNORTH MAPSan Miguel de TucumánTafí del ValleAmaicha del ValleCafayateSaltaSan Salvador de JujuyPurmamarcaTilcara HumahuacaIruyaLa Quiaca

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PATAGONIA MAPNeuquénSan Martín de los Andes San Carlos de BarilocheEl Bolsón EsquelLas GrutasPuerto MadrynPuerto PirámidesEl ChalténEl CalafatePuerto San JuliánUshuaiaCHILE MAP Useful Information / Distance chart AricaIquiqueSan Pedro de AtacamaLa SerenaPisco ElquiViña del MarValparaíso Santiago PichilemuVillarricaPucónPuerto VarasPuerto MonttChiloe Island - AncudChiloe Island - CastroCarretera AustralVilla O’higginsPuerto NatalesPunta ArenasURUGUAY MAPGlossarySpanish / English dictionary

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CONTENTS

WHERE TO FIND GET SOUTH: You can get a free copy at most tourist info centres and bus stations (of destinations featured) or throughout all the

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:: By plane: Airlines tend to fly to and from capital cities, with connections to most major cities and tourist centres. Check out www.aerolineas.com, www.lan.com, www.lade.com, www.skyairline.cl or www.flypluna.com for details! :: By bus: You can get virtually everywhere in South America by bus. Take a bus for a more cost-effective and culturally thrilling experience. Overnight trips are quite comfortable, often including meals, films, and attendant services. :: By car: For a personalized adventure through the countryside, you can always travel by car. Rental companies generally operate in most towns and cities and you can save some bucks if you are travelling in a group. :: By taxi or remis: Cheap and reliable, taxis and remises (private taxis) provide quick transportation within city limits. Simply flag them down with an outstretched arm, or call them in advance.:: By local bus: Sometimes very efficient, but unless you know the city very well, it can be a bit confusing. In Argentina they are called “colectivos”, but in Chile this word means “shared taxi”. Local buses in Chile are called “micros”.

Please recycle me!!

If you can bear without taking me home, leave me for one of your friends!

** Getting Around **

South Pass is a travel pass for 5, 7 or 15 bus trips (regular only) in and across Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru over 60 consecutive days. South Pass works online so that travellers don’t need to go to the bus station anytime before their journey. Enter www.argentinabybus.com for more information.

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To make sure you stay healthy and enjoy your travels, we have developed a couple of health and safety tips:- You can normally drink tap water, although always ask if you are unsure.- Use sunscreen, especially at high altitude - even if it’s cold, the sun is still strong.- Stay streetwise as you walk around the big cities, keep to busy streets, avoid being a target and mind your pockets/bag.- Take taxis at night and try not to be out alone.- If you do fall in love one night, always use protection - AIDS, HIV and other STIs are a risk in any country with any person (heterosexuals included).- Keep your documents safe, make copies and save your details online in case.- If you have any valuables, try to keep them in the hostel/hotel safe. - Never leave valuables in a car or bus.- Dress appropriately to not attract unwanted attention. - Overnight buses sometimes get very cold, wrap up warm.- Don’t change money on the street, only use recognized exchange bureaus.

** Health & Safety Tips **

To visit Argentina, Chile and Uruguay most nationalities (including most of Western Europe, South Africa, New Zealand) don’t need a visa and can enter these countries with a valid passport and receive a free 90 day Tourist Card on arrival. Some nationalities (including USA, Australia and Canada) are required to pay a reciprocity fee on entry to Chile and Argentina - these can be paid on arrival and is typically around US$130 - US$160 payable in cash (it depends on the country). The receipt is regarded as a multiple entry visa.Other nationalities require a visa before arriving - contact the relevant foreign consular representative if you are unsure or if you need to apply in advance for an entry visa. Note: Passport and visa requirements are liable to change at short notice. Travellers are advised to check their entry requirements with their embassy or consulate.

** Visa Information **

Download Get South free of charge from our website, or receive it by mail anywhere

in the world, just by paying postage!!

Interested in making a societal impact? South America offers a number of charitable organizations that need YOUR help!

Here are only a few of many organizations operating:ARGENTINA• Fundación Argentina de Etoecología (www.etoecologia.org.ar) raises environmental awareness through direct action such as forestation, ground imporvement, water purification and education on environmental issues. You can also volunteer with them to help children and women on the street. • Hogar Amparo Maternal (www.amparomaternal.com.ar) works with young mothers and their children to create a place to stay and organize their daily tasks.• Banco de Alimentos (www.bancodealimentos.org.ar) fights hunger and malnutrition by providing soup kitchens and raising awareness.• Voluntario Global (www.voluntarioglobal.com.ar) runs educational projects in Buenos Aires, northern Argentina, Bariloche and Iguazu.• South American Explorers (www.saexplorers.org) has a good database of volunteer opportunities across South America for eager travellers.

CHILE• Voluntarios de la Esperanza (www.ve-global.org) works to provide shelters, orphanages and schools in Santiago.• Agrupacion Medio Ambiental Torres del Paine (www.amatorresdelpaine.org) does conservation work and environmental education in the national park.• Verde Mar (www.verdemartours.blogspot.com) works in Ancud on forestation and conservation projects with the penguins.• Un Techo para Chile (www.untechoparachile.cl) works on reconstruction of homes for those in Southern Chile whose homes were devastated by earthquakes.

URUGUAY• Karumbe (www.karumbe.org) is a volunteer project that monitors and conserves sea turtles in coastal Uruguay.

** Volunteering **

Perez Zalazar 825. GENERAL RODRIGUEZ - Buenos Aires province - (011) 1534171735 familyfarmhostel@gmail.com - www.wonfamily.net - www.familyfarmhostel.blogspot.com

FAMILY FARM HOSTEL: On the fringe of Buenos Aires city, this rural family farm and hostel is designed to enjoy nature, learn languages, exchange cultures and learn about sustainable living through ecovolunteering. With or-ganic gardens and adobe constructions, the idea is to learn about becoming self sufficient and get involved with the project as you enjoy your stay here. There is plenty of space to relax and hang out, enjoying their swimming pool, playing a bit of footie or delight in eating some homemade green cuisine. With one six bed dorm and plenty of camping ground (shared bathroom) you will certainly feel like one big family by the end of your stay!

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Travelling is a conscientious act of discovery and liberation. Still, simple steps can (and should) be taken in order to be a responsible traveller and to avoid undesirable incidents. How to be a responsible traveller...

• Read about the social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental climate of your destination. • Seek out locally owned businesses (accommodation, restaurants, etc). • Travel in small groups and mingle with locals. • Attempt to learn the local language. • Be respectful of culture and customs: dress accordingly, ask to take photographs of people, etc. • Volunteer with local organizations. • Travel to enjoy, not to destroy. • Buy crafts from local artisans to assist local economic development. • Don’t be stingy with tips, especially when visiting developing areas. • Limit your environmental impact - don’t litter! The key is to travel with an open mind; a desire to connect with the people and culture you’re entering will go a long way towards creating an unforgettable journey.

** Responsible Travel**

:: Avoid trekking alone.:: Pre-plan your itinerary, informing others of your route and making sure you leave yourself plenty of daylight time. :: Always remain on marked trails.:: Make sure to read and obey all signs. :: Make sure to wear and carry the appropriate gear. UV sunglasses, a waterproof jacket, sunscreen and warm clothing are just a few to mention… if in doubt make sure to ask a local guide. They will know best!! :: Don’t bother the wildlife, pick up your waste and bring back only memories.:: Never ever light a fire under any circumstances.:: If someone has left a mess before you, do the right thing and pick it up.

** Trekking Tips **Trekking is one the best things to do in South America -it’s cheap, it’s healthy and always memorable. Here are our top tips:

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Everyone loves a good fiesta, and here are some of the highlights of festivals for Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. These festivals are popular - so always try to book accommodation in advance!

January• Festival Nacional del Folklore, Cosquín, near Córdoba, late January: This is Argentina’s largest festival for folk music. Grab your gaucho pants and armadillo guitar for this one!

February• Fiesta Nacional de la Pachamama, Amaicha del Valle: Celebrate the bounty of mother nature (Pachamama) as the natives gather to celebrate with folk music, food and drink and pick out the most beautiful girl as their festival queen. • Lemanja Festival of the Godess of the Sea, Montevideo and Punta del Este, 2 February: One of the major festivals in Uruguay, thousands of devotees take to the beaches to offer watermelons, flowers and candles to the godess of the sea.• Festival Costumbrista Chilote, Castro, Chiloe Island, 3rd week of February: This festival celebrates the Chilote traditions with artisans, typical food, singing and music, animal fairs and traditional games. • Festival Internacional de la Canción, Viña del Mar: This is not only Chile’s but one of South America’s biggest Latin American pop festivals. Everyone gets down to Viña to see their favourite pop acts.• Carnival, Uruguay, North Argentina (Gualeguaychu, Jujuy province), late February - early March: Although much bigger in neighbouring Brazil, carnival is still celebrated with due fervor in these other Southern Cone countries. The main Carnival celebrations are in Montevideo where people dress up, dance and sing to Candombe all night long for a couple weeks. In Jujuy people celebrate Mother Nature’s bounty by throwing a huge party with lots of drinking, eating, singing and dancing. The devil is the mascot of the party and locals dress up in colourful costumes as they move to the music on every street corner and cover each other in snow spray, talcom powder, confetti and using water pistols.

March• Vendimia, Mendoza, late February - early March: Celebrating the wine harvest in Mendoza, this event builds up momentum over a couple weeks culminating in beauty parades, big theatrical performances, folkloric music and lots of wine tasting!

** Popular Festivals **

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July• Fiesta de La Tirana, Iquique, mid July: One of the most important festivals in Chile’s calender - La Tirana sees around 80,000 pilgrims get together for this religious cult celebration where they present the Virgin with carnival style dances and offerings in this small village.

August• Fiesta Nacional de la Nieve, Bariloche, mid August: Up on the Cerro Catedral and in the city locals celebrate the white snow with ski competitions, a chocolate festival, fireworks, music shows and pick a snow queen!

September• Fiestas patrias, 18 - 19 September: Chile celebrates its national day (18th) with general merriment across the country - tucking into typical Chilean food, enjoying some dance and music and lighting houses up like the national flag.

October• Oktoberfest, Villa General Belgrano, Argentina, early October: Argentina’s German immigrants made this festival near Cordoba the beer drinking fiesta that it is today. Two weeks of drinking local brew, listening to music and partying hard.

November• Gay Parade, Buenos Aires, mid November: It doesn’t get much more colourful than BA’s gay, lesbian and transgender parade in November. Along with all their supporters and friends they parade from Plaza de Mayo to the Congreso with the music up loud!

December• New Year’s Eve, everywhere, 31 December: New Years is a pretty big celebration in every country but the celebrations in

Montevideo, Uruguay, have to top them all. An all out Guerra de Sidra (Cider Fight) in the main plaza with hours of cider throwing fun, followed by BBQs, a billion fireworks and dancing into the wee hours of the morn. Bring on the New Year!

** Popular Festivals **

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** Don’t leave without trying these **

Is a popular traditional infusion made with the leaves of the yerba plant. Once dry and processed, the leaves are put into a gourd called mate (made of wood or other materials) and hot water is poured over it. The infusion is sipped through a bombilla (a filtered metal straw).

Asado/Parrilla Is in essence a grilled barbecue, consisting of various cuts of meat. A typical asado* may have an assortment of various cuts of steak, chicken, morcilla (blood sausage/black pudding), chorizo (sausage), mollejas (sweetbreads), riñones (kidneys), and chinchulines (intestines).

Mate

Empanada

Argentinean wines are gaining fame worldwide for their quality and value. The main wineries are spread around Mendoza, San Juan and

Salta. You are sure to have heard of the famous Argentinean Malbec, but Torrontes, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Bonarda are pretty good here too. Chile has a wide selection of international varieties planted, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and others. Chile’s signature

grape, Carmenère, is a rarely planted variety of Bordeaux.Uruguay’s top grape is Tannat which, like Malbec, also originally came from France.

Wine

Is a tasty stuffed pastry that can have a wide range of fillings, such as beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables, ham and cheese, sweet corn, onion, boiled egg, olives, raisins and more. It can be baked or fried.

ChivitoThis Uruguayan sandwich consists primarily of

a thin slice of steak, with mayonnaise, black or green olives, cheese, tomatoes and sometimes also bacon, fried or hardboiled eggs and ham. Normally served in a bun with a huge stack of French Fries! The Chilean version is barros luco and in Argentina, the lomito.

Argentina, Chile and Uruguay have some national dishes and drinks that you shouldn’t miss. Almost all of them appear in each country and beyond being tasty, they are a key part of the culture. Try them all !!

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2012 might be a year filled with travelling and fun for you, but some people are taking it rather more seriously. Following some ancient Mayan literature, some people believe that the Mayans predicted that 2012 would be the year that the world ends. Their historic calender says that the fourth world (which we are apparently in now) will end on 13th b’ak’tun, which happens to be the 21 December 2012. Some devotees are predicting an apocolypse with devasting consequences to humankind, but a few more positive new agers predict that this will be a day when Earth and its inhabitants will undergo a positive physical or spiritual transformation and it will bring in a New Era. Either way, it’s a good excuse to get out and see the world just in case anything happens!

Get an early start on your spiritual transformation... The more positive opportunity that the 2012 cult may offer us is that of working towards a ‘positive spiritual or physical transformation’. Some people are choosing to prepare for this transformation by working towards bettering themselves both inside and out. Tips include more physical activity (like pilates or yoga), meditation and reading inspirational and self help literature. If you want to get a headstart on your transformation while travelling the Southern Cone, there are a few options of yoga camps and spiritual retreats along the way:

- Eco Yoga Park (www.ecoyogapark.com): This yoga park and organic farm is located in Buenos Aires province and offers a yoga retreat or volunteering opportunities for the eco friendly.- Yoga en Punta (www.yogaenpunta.com): Before and after chilling out on the beach in Punta del Este you can get your yoga on at this centre with outdoor and indoor classes.- Eco Truly Arica (www.ecotrulyaricachile.blogspot.com/): Out in the desert of Arica, here you can practise yoga, build your own eco friendly hut, do trekking or attend the organic garden.- Elqui Valley, Chile: This is a spiritual hotspot in Chile. Located 30 degrees South and 70 degrees West, this is supposed to be the Earth’s magnetic centre and has made a strong pull to astrologers, new agers and meditators.

* 21 December 2012: End of the World or Spiritual Awakening? *