MORE COLADAS IN MORRO de SÃO PAULO

Morro de São Paulo, Bahia, Brazil

Morro de São Paulo- one of five villages on the island of Tinharé, Brazil.  MDSP is a place of pure tropical paradise- with some of the clearest waters and most beautiful beaches in the world.

Click pictures below to see slideshow

Morro de São Paulo is not a place I thought I would visit.  My friend and I were staying in Salvador, Brazil, planning on visiting a national park.  However, our itinerary quickly changed when the bus tickets to the park were sold out!  Since I met a few people who highly recommended the village, I immediately booked a round trip boat ticket to the magical island.

Since the majority of my trips are "backpacker style", my friend Kelsey and I stayed in a hostel called Che Lagarto.  Che Lagarto was more like a mini hotel!  We had our own room and bathroom- which is super rare for hostel life.  Surrounded by nature and the beautiful beaches, Che Lagarto is clean and full of travelers from all over the globe.  They have a lovely common area with hammocks and a game room, and a mini bar stocked with yummy traditional cocktails.

Since we only had 24 hours, we immediately changed into swim suits and went straight to the beach.  We did not have time for any tours, but were completely content with relaxing near the ocean, piña coladas in hand. 

One of my favorite parts about the island is that all of the restaurants are right on the beach!  One gets to dine by candlelight with toes in the sand.  These beachy restaurants make it a perfect (and romantic) place to watch the sunset.  And if you are looking to go out after dinner, nightlife on the island consists of traditional music and dancing on the beach until the early morning sun.

Oh, and the chocolate piña colada is HIGHLY recommended!

One thing I found interesing is Spanish (not Portuguese) is the first language on the island, even though Morro de São Paulo is part of Brazil.  There are not many Americans, for most of the tourists are from Argentina or Brazil.  

Poster at the hostel upon arrival- a sign?! ;)

HOT SPRINGS, THE GALAXY, + FLAMINGOS

San Pedro de Atacama (Pt. 3)

The Atacama Desert offers SO many attractions, that it is quite frankly difficult to choose which ones to see!  Along with the recommendations from my previous posts, here are three more of my top choices…

PURITAMA HOT SPRINGS

The Puritama Hot Springs is one of my favorite places in Atacama! (but mostly because I am a water girl) Nestled in the middle of the mountains lies an array of hot springs.  Walking down to the water is breathtaking.  The views are incredible, and dipping into the warm water surrounded by vegetation is nothing like I have ever experienced.  I am pretty sure I spent about two hours in the hot springs- I did not want to leave!  There are also showers/changing rooms available, as well as  picnic tables if you decide to bring lunch.

STARGAZING

One of the last tours I signed up for was the stargazing tour.  Since you are located in the middle of a vast desert, the sky is completely clear- you get to see the entire Milky Way!  The tour was about two hours and very informative.  However, I must add that I did get cold by the end, since it starts at 10pm.  After the tour (which is all in Spanish), you get to view the sky through advanced telescopes- viewing stars and the planet Saturn- up close! (Because it was nighttime and the stars are so far away, I do no have any pictures!)

LAGUNA CHAXA

I recommend checking out Laguna Chaxa close to sunset.  What is so incredible about this place is you get to see flamingos in the desert, and the colors of the sunset are beyond STUN-NING!  The sky looks like it is on fire!  For about $4 you get a small tour and a history about the flamingos.  Truly incredible!

Click pictures below to see slideshow

MOON VALLEY

San Pedro de Atacama (Pt.2)

Our second tour was Valle de la Luna, or, “Moon Valley” - one of my favorites!  It was quite warm while exploring, which made it hard to believe I was in freezing temperatures that same morning at the Geysers.

A must for hiking - a Fanny Pack!  (mine is Everest for under $10!)

Valle de la Luna is a must see.  The terrain has been carved by the wind, creating a mix of stone, salt, and sand formations.  The wide range of texture and color resembles the surface of the moon- hence the name.  Our tour guide took us hiking up and down the mini mountains, with spectacular views I have never seen in my entire life! 

MAGIC IN THE DESERT

San Pedro de Atacama

The Atacama Desert- a magical place that exists between the Andes Mountains and the Chilean Coast Range.  San Pedro de Atacama is the driest, non-polar desert in the world, composed of sand, salt flats, rocky terrain, and dried lava flow.  (I must say, some of my pictures really do not give San Pedro de Atacama justice, for it is one of the most breathtaking destinations I have ever seen!)

How to get there: The Atacama Desert is a short flight north of Santiago.  You first fly into Calama, and from there take an hour bus ride into the town of San Pedro de Atacama.

Since I was traveling backpacker style, I stayed at a hostel called Hostal Rural- located in the town center (last pic above).  The hostel was in a great location- super close to restaurants, shops, and attraction hubs.  The town itself was tiny- comprised of mostly  dirt roads and clay huts.  The aesthetic and authentic feel of the small, but lively, town made me feel like I was in a different world.

Since San Pedro de Atacama is known for it’s breathtaking landscapes, I recommend booking tours upon arrival. 

The first tour was the Tatio Geysers- a tour not for the faint of heart!  The bus picked me up at 4:30am (yes, in the morning!) and we arrived at the geyser location around 6am in time for sunrise.  The geysers were absolutely amazing, however, I was FREEZING.  The temperature was about -5 Celsius, and I definitely did not bring enough clothing for the arctic temp.  I was beyond cold during the duration of the tour, but still managed to take some pictures.  (see below!)  Once back on the bus, we were able to warm up with some hot tea/coffee.  Our tour bus took us around to some other hidden gems in the desert, and eventually to a tiny town called Caspana- a town with only 400 people.  The weather change is drastic (however, I went in July when it was winter) where the temperature is freezing at night, but about 23 Celsius during the day.  I highly recommend to bring a mix of clothing- be prepared for frigid temps, as well as very dry, warm heat.

Below is a video from one of the tours through the desert.  Pictured in the background is an active volcano!

Atacama from Natalie Thomas on Vimeo.

COLONIA, YOU'RE CUTE

Colonia, Uruguay

Colonia, Uruguay is such a fun little destination to explore.  Only a three hour boat ride from Buenos Aires, Colonia is one of the oldest towns in the country.  Located on the coast of Uruguay, I had no idea what to expect, plus I did not know much about Uruguay in general!

When I arrived on land I felt like I was in a different world!  The quaint town is full of charm and history.  Lining the cobblestone streets is an array of homes, restaurants, and boutique hotels- all of Portuguese and Spanish influenced architecture.

My main recommendation: Rent a golf cart!  This is an affordable way to drive around Colonia and to easily see the city in a day!

Main attractions: Puerta de la Ciudadela, Plaza Mayor, House of the Viceroy, & Calle de los Suspiros.

#thenowwithnat

VINO EN VINOLIA

The other day my film crew and I got extremely lucky.  We were shooting around Vitacura, Santiago and came across an awesome wine bar called Vinolia.  Now, Vinolia is not your typical wine tasting bar.  They offer a unique, virtual reality wine tasting experience unlike anything I have ever seen or experienced! (And believe me, vino tasting is one of my favorite pasttimes and I consider myself a true wine-o!)

When you first walk into the gorgeously lit wine bar, you are surrounded by the best vinos in Chile.  The design of Vinolia gives you the sense that you are visiting a winery in the middle of the countryside.  The service here is first class- upon arrival, we were graciously offered an amazing Pino Noir and a cheese and charcuterie board.  Both were a joy to my taste buds.

After enjoying a glass of wine and some savory bites, we were guided into the aroma room.  In the aroma room you get to smell 48 different scents related to each of the wines. Here you pull a stopper from a large glass canister and try to guess the aroma.  This was a fascinating and unique experience!  From the aroma room you are lead into a wine barrel amphitheater.  Once seated, the vino experts take you on an unforgettable wine tasting journey throughout different vineyards in Casablanca and Colchagua (two very popular and highly recommended destinations outside of Santiago!) The video was fantastic- I felt like I was flying over each vineyard! (all while drinking first-class vino)

During our virtual tasting, we had the chance to taste-test a total of five delectable wines (one white, four red).  We were given an in-depth explanation about each particular wine and the vineyard it was produced at.  A lovely cheese plate was offered during our experience as well.

I will say, Vinolia is a must-visit destination in Santiago!  Vinolia is not just a place to purchase a glass of wine, but an experience to heighten all of your senses.  

Thank you, Vinolia, for a true wine tasting adventure in the heart of the city <3

{The tour is offered in English, Spanish, and Portuguese!}

FOLLOWING THAT INNER CALLING

Why Chile?!

Prior to my drastic move to Chile (let’s be honest, I am always a bit dramatic), I knew nothing about the country.  I have never visited Chile, knew only one person here, and did not know any Spanish (besides “hola” - LOL).  Oh, and it is currently winter south of the Equator…

I’m insane, right?!

The opportunity came about when a good friend from LA put me in touch with someone living in Vitacura who was looking for an English-speaking housemate.  After doing some (minor) research of the area, I had the strongest gut feeling to move, but not a clue as to why.  I was looking to make a personal change, but I did not think that meant traveling 6,000+ miles from home to a foreign country!  However, I do know that when your gut is telling you to do something, always listen!  So that’s what I did.  I booked a one-way ticket to Santiago.  While at first it was definitely challenging and muy dificil (very difficult), it wound up being the best direction for my life at that exact moment.

Moving here was HARD and there were times I was scared, unsure of my decision, and even questioned my intuition about my move in the first place. However, I started to realize that tough times are true blessings. The most difficult moments I experienced provided me with opportunities for personal growth and inner expansion, and I even started a daily meditation routine — all very much needed!  After a rollercoaster month of questioning my life choices, things began to fall into place.  I enrolled in a Spanish Immersion program (ECELA), started working for a start up company founded by my good friend (BBXX), stumbled upon a yoga studio for women who spoke english, and found an amazing team for my blog!  Not to mention all the ah-mazing people I have met so far in my first two months.

Even though my Spanish skills are still horrendous, Santiago is becoming my second home, and I am beyond thankful for taking the leap of faith into the unknown.

The biggest piece of advice I can give anyone who is looking to make a change but unsure how to do so, is trust your gut/intuition.  (Even if it doesn't make sense.  Even if you are scared.)  All of these “un-sure” feelings are absolutely normal.  Our thoughts create our reality, so when we practice limiting beliefs as to why something cannot work, we are setting ourselves up for a limiting life.  We all deserve to be happy and we all deserve the absolute best- that’s why we are here!  So sit still, silence your mind, and see which direction your intuition is telling you to go…

#thenowwithnat

                                                                 *Good Vibez Only*

              This picture was taken at one of my favorite restaurants in Santiago - ADHANA

HOLA, BUENOS AIRES

Buenos Aires, Argentina

The first night of my trip was an absolute world-wind!  I flew into Buenos Aires, Argentina and had less than 24 hours to explore the city.  With that being said, my friend Kelsey and I thought the best way to quickly see the city was by bike!  The tour we booked was through BA Bikes - a four-hour tour that takes you all over Buenos Aires.  We made multiple stops where our bike leader was also our tour guide, providing historic and culture facts about the diverse city.

My favorite neighborhood we biked through was La Boca.  La Boca is comprised of the most colorful streets in all of Buenos Aires!

After our bike tour, we went back to Milhouse Hostel to get ready for dinner.  Even though I was there only a night, this hostel provided a fun environment and is booming with backpackers from all over the world.  (They also have a hostel in Cusco!)

My only dinner in Buenos Aires was at La Cabrera Sur La Cabrera Sur, which I HIGHLY recommend!  Kelsey and I split a steak dinner, where the portion size was enough for four people.  {Not to mention the wine is amaze}.  Imported from Chile, we split only $25 for a bottle of Malbec, which is equivalent to $100+ in the United States!

Mas vino, por favor!

SAY YES TO ADVENTURES

I can't believe it!  My bags are packed, and I am ready to embark on my journey to South America!  To be honest with you, I really have no idea what is in store for me over the next 3.5 weeks. *insert flushed faced emoji*  I am currently flying into Buenos Aires then making my way to Uruguay, Bolivia, and Brazil!  (Maybe one last stop in Ecuador before heading home?!) Only time can tell! ;)

As I a wait my last few minutes before calling an uber to the airport, I am trying my best to live in the "now" as I get ready to explore a foreign continent.  All I know is life always unfolds in the most unexpected ways when we step into the unknown!

Bon Voyage!

#thenowwithnat