FoodLong before Europeans arrived in South America,the native populations knew how to cultivate anincredible array of plants. They grew corn, limabeans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, quinoa, chillipeppers, avocados, peanuts, cacao, and raisedllamas and guinea pigs. When the Europeansarrived, they incorporated some of these nativeingredients into their own cuisine. They took the new foods back to Europe, and they broughtEuropean foods such as pigs, chickens, citrus trees, wheat and almonds to South America.Today, cuisine in most Andean countries is stillprimarily based around corn, potatoes and beanproducts. In many cities across the continent it is common to find chefs showcasing theseAndean products and alpaca meat, quinoa andunusual tubers such as yucca in new andsophisticated ways.In the southern part of the continent meat andfish are more prominent. Brazil has arguably themost diverse cuisine thanks a number of factorssuch as its sheer size and ability to grow a varietyof crops as well as its traditional cookingtechniques which have been influenced by itsAfrican and Asian populations. Argentines arefamed for their diet of beef. Grilled meat fromthe asado (barbecue) is a staple, with steak andbeef ribs especially common. Chorizo (porksausage), morcilla (blood sausage) and mollejas(sweetbread), are also enjoyed. In Patagonia, lamband chivito (goat) are eaten more than beef. DrinkTraditional South American beverages are just as distinct as the foods. Popular drinks includematé (soaked dried leaves of the local yerba matéplant), pisco (a Quechan liquor distilled fromgrapes) and chicha (an alcoholic maize or yuca-based drink usually drunk in the Amazonbasin). A more recent addition to Argentina andChile's drinks list is wine. The cool, sunny slopesof the Andes provide ideal growing conditions for many grapes (although malbec is the mostrenowned) and the region is now a major playerin the global wine market. As for cocktails, themost famous is Brazil's caipirinha. Made withcachaça, lime and sugar, it is dangerously delicious.Islands and BeachesSouth America is shaped by three major bodiesof water: the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and theCaribbean Sea. The rugged Pacific coastline,stretching the entire western side of thecontinent, provides the perfect environment foran abundance of wildlife, the pinnacle of which isundoubtedly the Galapagos Islands off the coastof Ecuador. Volatile volcanoes have created vastlava fields which are home to hundreds of sealions, albatross, boobies, giant tortoises andiguanas that have evolved over centuries andtoday show little fear of humans. The remainderof this coastline is home to windswept beachesand jagged, rocky cliff lines. Meanwhile, with over 7,000 kilometres ofcoastline, Brazil has an endless succession ofbeaches in secluded coves, and the coastline isdotted with off-shore islands in the south andbacked by enormous sand dunes in the north.Along the northern shore of the continent theCaribbean laps soothingly over picture postcardwhite-sand beaches along the coasts of Venezuelaand Colombia. A short distance off the mainlandof these countries, white sandbanks merge intosmall archipelagos providing idyllic, relaxinggetaways for the end of a trip.Travelling AroundJourneys around South America are astoundinglyvaried. Although distances can be vast, trips donot have to be spent in airport lounges or onendless road journeys. Short flights, spectaculartrain journeys, expedition cruises, ferry crossings,self-drive, trekking, horseback riding, biking andpublic transport are all means that we use totravel between destinations within the continent.Encountering friendly and inquisitive locals andwitnessing the spectacular scenery en route willmake your trip all the more memorable.Experience South America6Sea lions, Galapagos IslandsMoai, Easter IslandFernando de Noronha, Brazil

FestivalsSouth Americans like to party. This combinedwith their allegiance to many traditions result innumerous colourful festivals throughout the year.The most famous is Carnival which takes placeannually in February. Although celebrated acrossthe continent, Brazil is the ultimate flag bearerwith its lavish, colourful processions, street music and samba dancers who party solidly forthree days. In the Andes, the most significant festival is IntiRaymi, celebrating the summer solstice. For theentire week, locals celebrate with large barbecues, parades, traditional dances, andbonfires. In Peru, it takes over Cuzco andtransforms the Sacsayhuamán ruins overlookingthe city into a majestic stage.01993 838 600 ?Introduction7Our glossaryThere are some South American terms thatyou will frequently come across in thisbrochure. Here is our quick guide to some of the vocabulary used across the continent.Altiplano- meaning 'high plain', thisgeographical description refers to theswathes of wild and bleak land that lie atover 4,000 metres, in the cordilleras of Peru,Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Cordillera- a name given to parts of the Andes where the mountains split intoparallel ranges.Pampas- vast and flat alluvial plains thatspread out from Buenos Aires and is wheremuch of Argentina's famous cattle farmingtakes place.Gaucho- the Argentine cowboy, gauchosare the men who work on horseback on the farms.Estancia- term used in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay to describe alarge family-owned rural estate. They havehistorically always been a livestock (cattle orsheep) farm but many have now openedtheir doors to visitors (see page 86).Hacienda- similar to an estancia butassociated with Ecuador (see feature on page35) and Colombia. They usually have abroader range of agricultural ventures such asthe harvesting of grain, coffee, vegetables andlivestock farming. Coffee producing estanciasin Colombia are often called 'fincas'.Fazenda- refers to a large plantation inBrazil. At their peak during the colonialperiod, most were located in the northeastof the country. They were responsible for ahuge number of slaves arriving in the country,resulting in a diverse culture in this region ofthe country today.Posada/Pousada(Spanish/Portuguesespelling) - the name traditionally given to asmall, family-run hotel, often with apersonalised level of service. Today, thename is attached to many hotels across thecontinent, which do not always necessarilymeet this criteria!Barrios- Spanish word meaning'neighbourhood' or 'district'.Favela- the general term used for a shantytown in Brazil. The name 'favela' comes fromthe tree commonly found on the side of hillsin sub-tropical regions. As favelas are alsooften found on the sides of hills, the slangterm 'favela' was formed.Asado- the technique for cookingnumerous cuts of meat (usually beef), which are cooked on a grill (parrilla) or openfire. Also the word used to refer to the meal itself.Churrascaria- Brazilian or Portuguesesteakhouse, churrasco is the cooking style,which translates roughly from the Portuguesefor 'barbecue'.Atacama Desert, ChileRio Carnival, Brazil