Compared to the rest of Chile, Valparaiso is more everything: More alive, more raw, more bohemian and more photogenic. It also has more street dogs (which equals more poo per square metre) and enough history to fill its entire sprawling harbor. 'Valpo' is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the feeling of former glory is everywhere. In the grand decaying mansions stacked high on picturesque hills, the old bars filled with photos of yesteryear and the stately dow...

There's a good reason Chile's Torres del Paine National Park swarms with polypro clad eager beavers in summer - it's home to some of the world's most stunning mountain formations and, conveniently, you're less likely to freeze to death. We, however, chose beautiful, chilly old Autumnal April to avoid the crowds, save some pesos and test our survival instincts to the limit. If only the mice knew about seasons as well. Forgoing the long trip through the earthquake...

Our first look at the never-ending, rustically concreted city of Buenos Aires came through the windows of our tour bus on a freeway 5 stories above the pavement. It wasn't until our connecting taxi ("taksee") whisked us away that we actually felt a part of it all. The small vehicle threw itself into the hectic traffic with amusing abandon amid a sea of smoky trucks and nimble cars all seemingly unaware of anything around them. At some traffic lights 5 l...