Debbi Fudge journeys to Chile, Argentina and Brazil

Debbi Fudge’s trip starting point was Santiago, Chile. Not only is Santiago Chile’s capital and economic center, it is also the country’s political and cultural hub. The Barrio Bellavista provides visitors a glimpse of now rare bohemian culture.

Moving to the southernmost tip of Chile, Punta Arenas is the jumping-off point to the rugged landscape of Patagonia. On the drive from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales, Fudge states that they stopped at Rio Penitente Ranch. Scottish settlers established this 10,000-acre sheep ranch in 1891, and their descendants added tourism with ranch tours in 1990.

From Puerto Natales, Fudge sailed through the Ultima Esperanza Fjord, catching a glimpse of the thousand-year-old Balmaceda Glacier located in the Bernardo O’Higgins National Park. With its 1.3-mile extension, it was a sight. After disembarking in Puerto Toro, she hiked to the Serrano Glacier, also a part of the Southern Icefield.

A day was spent in Torres del Paine National Park, declared a World Biosphere Reserve by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The glacier grand finale was seeing the Perito Moreno Glacier at Los Glaciares National Park. This trip was Fudge’s fifth trip to various configurations of these South American countries and Patagonia, and her second trip to see the Perito Moreno Glacier. The glacier is over three miles wide and has a total ice depth of 558 feet. The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the most spectacular sights — natural or manmade— she has seen in the world while traveling in 106 countries, said Fudge.

Next Fudge arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina. To Fudge, Buenos Aires bounces around 24/7 to tango music. Being a ballroom dancer, she takes tango lessons every time she visits there. The Recoleta Cemetery, which contains more than 6,400 mausoleums, is world-famous for the Eva “Evita” Peron tomb.

At Iguazu Falls, a new sightseeing experience for Fudge, she viewed the falls from both the Argentina side and the Brazil side. The Brazil side has a remarkable pedestrian viewing walkout. Iguazu Falls, Brazil, and Victoria Falls, South Africa, vie for the No. 1 position of largest falls in the world—Victoria Falls is taller while Iguazu Falls is wider. Fudge spent seven hours viewing Iguazu Falls from various locations.

—Debbie Fudge

The trip map for Debbi Fudge's recent journey to Chile, Argentina and Brazil.

Debbi Fudge at Iguazu Falls, Brazil.

Debbi Fudge at Perito More no Glacier, Chile.