From glaciers to ancient Inca ruins, it seems like there is something for every type of traveler in South America. And if you haven't visited, then it's definitely a continent you should put on your bucket list. The region is practically overflowing with natural, cultural, and historical wonders. Read on for some of the best sights to see in South America.
An undercover child benefactor originally from Pennsylvania, has sparked an international legal battle from the grave. Wilson C. Lucom left a small amount of his fortune to his family, while leaving the rest of his tens of millions of dollars to a foundation he secretly created for the poor children of Panama.
Those who knew Lucom probably never saw this coming. While alive he funded anti-communist causes, and authored political commentaries, which often advocated solving the world's problems by dropping nuclear bombs.
Now, Lucom's widow, who was granted $20,000 a month in the will, wants the last testament of her mysteriously child friendly husband thrown out. The case is currently in front of Panama's Supreme Court, and the legal battle (which includes 20 law firms!), will decide the fate of Panama's largest charitable donation in history. Who do you want to win?
One politician wants to add a woman's right to sexual happiness to Ecuador's new constitution. While her opponents claim she is trying to legislate orgasms, Maria Soledad Vela says that she simply wants to recognize the right to enjoy sex in a more open society. Since the new constitution will recognize the rights of indigenous communities and the poor, she says women should also be represented.
It seems like governments all over the world are always trying to legislate issues that can't exactly be solved with a law. Remember the Kentucky lawmaker who wanted to make anonymous Internet posting illegal? Or the fact that in Italy, it is illegal for men to grab their genitals in public. Why do you think governments have such an expansive view regarding what is appropriate for legislation?
Perhaps these politicians have worthy intentions — by calling to legislate sexual happiness for women, Soledad Vela has ignited a debate in conservative Ecuador about the female position in society. She hopes that an official endorsement of female pleasure will end the treatment of women as sexual objects.
Do you think Soledad Vela should be commended for trying to stop female sexual subordination? Or, is she treading on something intimate that has nothing to do with politics or law? Would you like to see a constitutional right like this in your country?
Apparently it isn't essential that a guidebook writer actually visit the country he writes about. A Lonely Planet author is claiming that he made up large portions of his books, and dealt drugs to subsidize his measly salary. Think twice before going to the titles on Brazil, Colombia, the Caribbean, Venezuela, Chile, and South America, for some first-hand advice.
These damning revelations came out in the writer's, Thomas Kohnstamm, new book Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? He says that he wrote about Colombia without visiting the country because they didn't pay him enough to go to Colombia. He says: "I wrote the book in San Francisco. I got the information from a chick I was dating — an intern in the Colombian Consulate."
This guy has the coolest job ever — traveling around the world and writing about it— and he does the arguably hard part while, ditching the fun of seeing the world. I know he's not making a lot of money, but he accepted the job knowing how much he was going to make. Do you think phony travel writers, like Kohnstamm, should go to hell?
A medical crisis is erupting in South America. A dengue fever outbreak in Brazil has infected 55,000 people, and killed 67 Brazilians so far this year. Half of those killed by the mosquito-borne illness are under 13-years-old. Victims experience harsh symptoms including, high fever, headaches, joint pain, eye pain, nausea, vomiting, and a rash.
Unfortunately there are not enough doctors to tackle the outbreak. Patients must wait at hospitals for as long as 28 hours. People from the rural areas are flooding the municipal hospitals. Eighty new cases are being diagnosed every hour. The Brazilian military intervened, building three field hospitals trying to address the demand. The situation is so drastic that the governor of Rio de Janeiro may ask Cuba to send doctors.
This is a huge humanitarian crisis! The more time it takes for those infected to get treatment, the more likely the infection will become fatal. If you haven't heard about it yet, are you surprised?
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Pepino
A fruit native to South America that is also known as the melon pear or "melumber" as they are said to taste like a cross between a melon (honeydew or cantaloupe) and a cucumber. Pepinos are high in potassium and are full of vitamin A, B and C. Pepinos are smooth and round/ovaly - similar to a large goose egg - and are known for their light yellow skin with purple lines. They are found often in Peru and Chile, and have been exported to many other countries - they have just recently found their way to Britain.
Source: This is London
