If you could only visit one South American country..

Tough luck.
But then, you can go to Disneyland, nice log rides.

GRRR!

I hate most theme parks and really don't like Disney.

I went to the San Diego Zoo again and if I had time I'd go to Yosemite but I'm not expecting much tourism in Cali.

I provoked you, and you fell.

Well Craven, IF I WAS IN CA - I know that I would
head off for the northern part where all the giant
redwood, and sequoia forests and parks are. This
to me, sounds delightful.
If I were to go to South America, I do believe that
I would choose the trains through the Andes Mts and
also southern Chile.
What is there in Brazil that is NOT touristy - I don't
drink, don't gamble - don't even care about shopping
but I adore nature -perhaps - more than any other
thing in this life. My son-in-law is from Chile, he is
a trauma nurse in a big hospital. When I told him I
hoped to see southern Chile one day - he just kind of
looked at me strangely and said "what for, there is
nothing there?" Now, I KNOW this can't be true. I
swear I have seen shows on discovery channel, etc
about southern Chile and they even have unusual
animals.
It must be like the way I feel about the place I live.
Everyone thinks it is great to live on a 12 mile long
island off the coast of Florida, but when you live here
it is just home. And not really all that much to do
here that is fun. Unless someone loves the beach.
I love the ocean, but lying on a beach sunning myself
is something I can't do at all anymore. Not unless I
want to wear zinc oxide and protective clothing over
my bathing suit or sit under a huge sun umbrella.
But it IS beautiful and great for photography.

here is the view from the northern end of Amelia
Island at sunset. The island you can see in the
distance is Cumberland Island in Georgia.

Brazil - my daughter has been there countless times, has written about it, and loves it. And since I have been to Portugal so many times, there's a connection.

And second, Chile.

That was wicked, fbaezer.

babs,

Brazil is almost as big as the US, there are plenty of things to see (I don't wanna type them all out).

Brazil has a weak tourist infrastructure so nature is much more common than a beaten path.

Craven, what do you mean see Macchu Picchu while it is still there?

Is something happening to it - other than the normal processes of the march of time?

It's supposed to be sinking. Slowly of course.

I've picked Colombia but am looking forward to getting out to see other SA countries.

I've always wanted to see the Amazon--and the worlds, human and ecological, that the Amazon has created.

Of course at my age I'd prefer my voyage of discovery to be without close contact with the insect kingdom.

We have friends that have family in Argentina - that have like a really big Cattle Ranch - we're invited to visit anytime - but then again money tends to be an issue most times

Peru

Of course, I'd have to choose Brasil, but Argentina runs a close second. Third? Colombia. I have friends from each country but I've only been to Brasil before. I'm reading about Argentina and it has a very interesting history. I plan to study in Brasil within the next year.

The funny thing about Iguaçu is that Brasilians say their side is better while Argentines say theirs is better. No one realizes that when standing on the Brasilian side, the view is of the Argentine side, and vice versa. Honestly, the Brasilian side has more falls which makes it more of a spectacular view, so cross over to Argentina to see it! lol

Very funny about Foz de Iguaçu!

I went there once, but hadn't even known there were any falls around (went to sneak across the border to Paraguay). I found out as soon as I got back to São Paulo.

"Did you see the falls"

"What falls?"

I don't know much or studied about SA, but I would like to visit Argentina, South Brazil and Colombia. I've heard they have a European background.

How come no one mentioned Venezuela?

That would be my choice.

Brazil, first.

I've wanted to go to Brazil as long as I had wanted to go to italy, and y'all know how enthused I got about italy. I'd like to go to Buenos Aires a lot too.

Venezuela interests me but I know even less about it than elsewhere. An md/phd colleague did research there, quite a while ago now, and a friend visited her lover-now-husband in Caracas and feared kidnapping, at the time with reason, given his position. I don't think I am too much of a kidnap target and would like to see it.

I'd be a fool in the jungle though. Gads, humid and dark, I'd be sweating, flailing, sort of a made for the movies victim of a big bug. Although I did ok at Tikal...

Craven once gave a bit of a Brazil tour, on another site, that was enjoyable for the rest of us.

Ich weiß nicht....
What's interesting is that I never heard much about Venezuela.

I can't imagine good ol' me in the middle of the jungle with my cranky friends and my pretentious cousin. lmao
That would be something.