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News Stories Tagged south america
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Visit Margarita: the Caribbean island off Venezuela
St. Bart's has nothing on Margarita, the continent's one true Caribbean island. Venezuelans call their favorite vacation destination La Perla del Caribe (the Pearl of the Caribbean), and the island, with its white-sand beaches, smart hotels, yummy restaurants, and historic sites, really does live up to the hype.
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Plan your Patagonia trip around penguins
In late September about 2,000 Magellanic penguin couples begin to arrive at Pingüinera de Seno Otway, a desolate and windswept land off the Otway Sound, about 40 mi northwest of Puerto Arenas. They mate and lay their eggs in early October, and brood their eggs in November.
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Mind your hand gestures in Brazil
Throughout Brazil, use the thumbs-up gesture to indicate that something is OK. The gesture created by making a circle with your thumb and index finger and holding your other fingers up in the air has a very rude meaning.
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Drink like a local in Peru
Peru's national drink is the pisco sour, made with a pale grape brandy—close to 100 proof—derived from grapes grown in vineyards around Ica, south of Lima. Added to the brandy are lemon juice, sugar, bitters, and egg white.
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Be smart about food safety in Central and South America with these tips.
Drink only bottled water, called agua purificada or agua mineral. It is available even at the smallest stores, and is much cheaper than in North America. Use bottled water even when brushing your teeth.
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Prepare in advance for health issues in South America.
The Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) have country-specific information about health concerns and suggested or required inoculations, prophylactic medications, etc. Visit your doctor to be sure you're up to date on tetanus and any other shots.
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