Category: Travel

South America Travel

Into the Chaos of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay

By wayfarersoliloquy | by wayfarersoliloquy

Photography by Samantha Demangate Words by Matt Dursum Ciudad del Este, one of the world’s largest tax free markets and one crazy place to drive through. Just a short trip over the International Friendship Bridge between Paraguay and Brazil, it is the second largest city in Paraguay. Along with the nearby Itaipu dam, the largest hydroelectric dam on earth, and the sprawling commercial center, the city produces over half of Paraguay’s GDP.  Before the Itaipu…

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South America Travel

The Giants of Foz do Iguaçu

By wayfarersoliloquy | by wayfarersoliloquy

Words and photos by Matt Dursum Over a glass of fresh pressed sugar cane juice, my girlfriend and I went over our time in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil with our Airbnb host, driver, and all-around great guy, Thiago Kim. Born in Argentina, Kim has since lived for several years on the Brazilian side of the falls and on top of running several Airbnbs, he runs a tourism company.  For a week, we relied on Kim’s…

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South America Travel

Inside the Bares Notables of Buenos Aires

By wayfarersoliloquy | by wayfarersoliloquy

Words and photos by Matt Dursum As modern cafes draw in crowds hoping to experience the next best thing, the classics still exist. By somehow avoiding the Instagram-craze that plagues cafes in Buenos Aires’ trendier neighborhoods, they remain hideaways for people who like to reflect on life uninterrupted. Aside from the tourist’s hotspots, Buenos Aires’ Bares Notables remain locally focused, affordable, and—unapologetically no-frills—shrines to Argentinian food and drinking culture.  From Humble Origins Bares Notables or…

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South America Travel

Neighborhood Profile: San Telmo, Buenos Aires

By wayfarersoliloquy | by wayfarersoliloquy

Words and Photos by Matt Dursum San Telmo radiates history. Its buildings and alleyways have witnessed some of Argentina’s most significant and, at times, unsavory historical events. A once working class neighborhood, it’s one of the birthplaces of Argentina’s national dance Tango. Today, the neighborhood juggles its gritty charm with a booming tourism industry and somehow keeps its soul intact. To get to know the neighborhood better, I take the bus to its busy outskirts…

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South America Travel

Roaming the Tigre Delta 

By wayfarersoliloquy | by wayfarersoliloquy

Words and Photos by Matt Dursum Like most of Buenos Aires, the Tigre Delta is changing. Over a century ago, the area was a playground for the rich. The former country club—Museo de Arte Tigre—once functioned as the social grounds for Buenos Aires’ elite and its famous rowing team. After the bloody 20th century dictatorship and the rise of seaside and international travel stripped this region of its prestige, it is finding a newfound resurgence…

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