In November 1998, Rose and I fulfilled two of my long time dreams. One was to travel to South America. The other was to operate amateur radio from a location outside the United States. On this vacation I was able to accomplish both of these.
We traveled from November 13th through November 27th, 1998. We visited Sao Paolo, Brazil; Iguazu Falls; Asuncion, Paraguay; and Buenos Aries, Argentina.
This trip would not have been possible without the generous and wonderful hospitality of Renato (ZP5XF) and Belen Bellucci (ZP5BEL). I first met Renato via ham radio in March of 1997. Since then we have communicated both over radio and e-mail. We became good friends. Upon hearing of my desire to come to South America, Renato offered his home to Rose and I. The Belluccis live in Paraguay, which while not known for its tourist attractions, is definitely known for its hospitality. They truly outdid themselves! Renato, Belen and their family and friends were wonderful hosts!
South America is much different and far more wonderful than most people in North America realize. It is a vast and diverse land rich in resources. I would not hesitate to go back again as I only got to visit a small portion of this great land.
Check out the following links for pictures from the Southern Cone (the Paraguay and Buenos Aires links do not exist yet.).
Iguazu Falls
Paraguay
Buenos Aires