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Better known as the “Train of the End of the World,” this gauge steam railway is considered the southernmost railway in the world. Although it once provided a less happy service of connecting Ushuaia’s penal colony with nearby cities, today it offers a beautiful tourist ride into the Tierra del Fuego National Park. The train departs on new tracks (the original ones can still be seen nearby) from the End of the World station, riding alongside a thickly forested gorge and beautiful peaks all around. In winter, everything is covered in snow here; in other seasons, you’ll appreciate the greens and reds that take over the valley throughout the season. The train makes one stop, so travelers can snap some photos at a local waterfall before continuing on into the national park. First-class passengers will get a chance to taste some local specialties while onboard, including alfajores, biscuits filled with thick caramel, and empanadas, a fried or baked pastry filled with cheese or meat.
If there’s one man who lingers large over Colombia’s recent history, it’s the billionaire drug trafficker Pablo Escobar. What few people realize is that you can actually visit the lavish estate built and owned by Escobar in Puerto Triunfo, about 110 miles east of Medellin. The sprawling complex, known as Hacienda Nápoles, fell into disrepair in the decade after Escobar’s death in 1993. But the local municipality took control of the property in the mid-2000s and turned it into-of all things-an ever-growing amusement park with an eclectic mix of themed zones, hotels, a water park, and safari-style zoo. The amusements and hotels are new, and signs of Escobar are now limited. The ruins of his former mansion were bulldozed, and one of the Cessna planes he used to smuggle drugs to the US that used to be perched atop the entry gate is gone (as is the gate). The only thing remaining is a small museum that grapples with his legacy and some of his antique car collection rusting peacefully in the sun.
A haven for birders and nature lovers, the Peninsula de Zapata is a remote, sparsely populated area of Cuba with diverse landscapes and one of the largest wetlands in the Caribbean. The Cienaga de Zapata, or the Zapata Swamp as it is affectionately known, is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, home to approximately 150 different species of birds, including waterhens, parrots, and heron. Crocodiles are also common. One part of the peninsula is a designated nature reserve, the Gran Parque Natural de Montemar, where you can see some of these creatures in their natural habitats. At the mouth of the Bay of Pigs (Bahia de Cochinos) is Playa Giron, the famous site of the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion. You can explore this fascinating history at the small Museo Giron. At the top of the Bay of Pigs, Playa Larga is home to a long beach backed by lush vegetation. Avid divers can explore the underwater wildlife at numerous dive sites here along the reef. Boca de Guama is the peninsula’s tourist center, and its main attraction is the Criadero de Cocodrilos, a crocodile farm.
The world’s third-largest producer of coffee beans, Colombia is a fantastic country for tastings and tours. The vast majority of production takes place in the subtropical Andean hills west of Bogota between the small cities of Armenia, Pereira, and Manizales. This region, known as the Eje Cafetero (or Coffee Axis), is home to a growing number of coffee plantations that have opened up their operations to the public in recent years for tours, tastings, and lavish farm stays. These small (and often organic) plantations are the kind of places where the farmer-owner might take an hour out of his day to explain the process of how a humble “cherry” turns into a coffee bean that will one day be roasted and ground into a latte back home. The small resort town of Salento is easily the most attractive place to base yourself, with numerous farm tours nearby and plenty of things to do. You’ll also have easy access to attractions like Cocora Valley, home to the tallest palm trees in the world. You can rent bicycles from Salento to explore the region under your own steam or ride on one of the old-fashioned Willy jeeps that serve as the town’s de facto taxis.
This is my first two years as a digital nomad. It’s more of a diary entry and it’s intended to show you, my readers, that there’s a big wide world out there to explore. And that you needn’t be chained to a desk working a traditional 9-5 job. The notion that you can only work in a specific office at certain times of the day is old fashioned. We’re in a digital age and the internet has made the world of work far more flexible. If you want to be a ‘digital nomad’ you just need to think outside the box. And the first step is realising that the things chaining you to your job or city are of your own making. They’re a product of your own choices to date. You can consciously make different choices. Find additional info on https://inlovelyblue.com/.
One of South America’s most attractive cities (also one of the largest), Buenos Aires is often the first glimpse of Argentina most visitors will have before heading off to popular tourist destinations such as Patagonia. But the smart ones will linger here and take in the many delightful museums and art galleries housed in the splendid old colonial buildings spread across the city’s districts or barrios. Be sure to visit La Boca, Buenos Aires’ most colorful neighborhood and home to the quirky Caminito Street Museum, a splendid pedestrian zone and open-air museum popular for its brightly painted houses, amusing sculptures, cafés, music, and tango dancers in the streets. Fashionable Recoleta is another must and is where you’ll find the Recoleta Cemetery, with its elaborate mausoleums containing the remains of such famous Argentinians as Eva (Evita) Perón, along with numerous public gardens, museums, art galleries, cafés, and boutique shops. Other districts to explore if time permits are Palermo and Belgrano with their wide boulevards and palatial mansions, and, in the downtown core, the delightful Plaza de Mayo.
Varadero is one of Cuba’s most famous beach destinations, and home to one of the best beaches in the Caribbean. It stretches along the Peninsula de Hicacos, which juts into the sea off the north coast; a drawbridge connects it to the mainland. More than 50 hotels line this popular palm-fringed strip, and its magnificent white-sand beaches draw visitors from around the world. Varadero highlights include Parque Ecológico Varahicacos (Varadero Ecological Park), and its two caves, Cueva de Ambrosio and Cueva de Musulmanes. Also in Varadero, the peaceful Parque Josone is home to lush flower gardens, a restaurant, swimming pool, and a small lake where visitors can paddle about in rowboats. Other popular things to do, besides diving and snorkeling, are deep-sea fishing, golf, skydiving, and day trips to cultural attractions.
