CHILE: Angol Urbex Adventure – The mysterious old Ilabaca Hospital

The photographer Salvador Seda has been working on the Angol Streetart Map in Chile since quite a while and fills it with interesting stories and great photographs. His focus is often on the history of the urban art and the spot. In that case obviously it makes sense to explore abandoned places and Salvador is a big fan of Urbex. During an adventurous tour of discovery, the streetart hunter visited the Ilabaca Hospital, which had been out of order for decades. The dilapidated buildings and half-collapsed rooms have something eerie but at the same time also something attractive, which arouses curiosity. In such places you can usually find interesting graffiti art as well.

>>> READ MORE

COLOMBIA: Zipaquirá – Magical Underground Catedral de Sal

The Catedral de Sal in Zipaquirá is a very special Catholic church located deep in the underground in the salt mine of Zipaquirá, located in the province of Cundinamarca in Colombia. It has no official status as a cathedral and is not subject to any bishop, but attracts thousands of visitors and pilgrims every week. The whole complex is part of the theme park Parque de la Sal and there are numerous religious artefacts and imposing artworks presented below the surface. The additional great light effects and lamp installations make a visit just unforgettable.

>>> READ MORE

BOLIVIA: Nuestra Señora de La Paz – Highest seat of government

On our route from Buenos Aires to the Titicaca lake in Bolivia we passed La Paz. With 750.000 habitants it´s the third biggest city in the country and the domicile of the government, the capital is Sucre. The town is constructed on an altitude between 3200 and 4100 meters into the mountains and you definitly can feel the thin air. But to get a better view you have to climb even higher on the hills and therefore you will get rewarded with a fabulous outlook. The architecture of the squeezed brick buildings extend as far as you can see.

>>> READ MORE

PARAGUAY: Streetart Asunción – Dr. Francia

Asunción has a lively and well-functioning shipping traffic. Especially with such maritime trading centers, the harbor district is always an interesting place with many warehouses and large walls and therefore also for graffiti and murals. You just have to search and explore the area, and you will find heaps of handsome masterpieces in hidden streets. The neighborhoods of Sajonia, San Antonio and Dr Francia by the harbor are particularly recommended for finding streetart, while some other good districts for urban art are located along the Paraguay River around the center. But basically you can find graffiti throughout the whole beautiful and green city. Check out our findings and keep your eyes open!

>>> READ MORE

CHILE: Atacama Sandboarding Adventure

In the north of Chile lies the legendary Atacama Desert with its breathtaking mountains and fascinatingly varying rock colors. From brown to yellow to red or green, you can find a whole rainbow there, especially at sunrise and sunset. We went far into the desert with our mountain bikes and snowboards strapped to our backs to find a special spot for sand boarding.

>>> READ MORE

CHILE: Salvador J. Seda – Historian Streetart Hunter and GraffitiPreBicentenario

When you look on the photographs and the way how Salvador Seda presents and documents his fantastic findings you probably will get quite often the word historian in mind. He definitely is an ambitious street art hunter and as well a wonderful history lover with an excited focus and patient eye for the little details. Salvador is a searcher for the specialties what urban life can offer, gives impulses and tries as well to teach a little bit about the background of wall paintings in the city. At the moment he is building up the Streetart Map of Angol in Chile.

>>> READ MORE

CHILE: Trail through the Atacama desert mountains

Here we have an fabulous recommendation for bicycle riders, mountainbike fans and off road tourers from the end of the world. While we traveled through Chile from north to south we had a break in San Pedro de Atacama. It´s a good spot to chill in the hot climate, as well you can do a lot of outdoor activities. Like crossing a part of the desert by mountain bike for example. There are beautiful trails which offer a relatively bleak and monochrome landscape and provide in conjunction with the sun just a stunning picture. Of course, it is not nearly desolate, the mountain formations are just blatant. But the colors change accordingly to the sunlight and the overall scenario is very overwhelming. If you should do the same with a good mountain bike, remember that the “routes” are not always real routes.

>>> READ MORE

PARAGUAY: Parque Das Aves – Foz do Iguaçu

Parque das Aves is a theme park located in the city of Foz do Iguaçu, in the Brazilian state of Paraná. Situated near the Iguazu River Falls, the park has 16 hectares of native forest, with 1500 animals including birds, reptiles and mammals, from 140 different species. It is a private institution that works as an integrated conservation center for Atlantic Forest species, researching captive breeding and preserving endangered animals. Its structure has 1,300 meters of trails, where birds are arranged for observation, and environments that mimic natural ecosystems for some species, such as alligators, boa constrictors, marmosets and butterflies.

>>> READ MORE