‘Incredible’ excursion features one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Iguazu Falls
From Sept. 11-24, 2025, a group of local friends traveled to South America with Linda Johansen and Collette Tours. The “Essence of South America including Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil featuring one of the 7th Wonders of the World” at Iguazu Falls was an incredible trip in all regards. The tour company provides our “hometown” pickup, which makes it all so easy to enjoy, especially with libations and warm pastries on the bus, followed by lots of laughter to set the mood and tempo for the trip.
We flew via Miami on American Airlines with a total of 12 hours of flying time to arrive in Santiago, which is the cultural hub of Chile. Santiago is nestled in the valley of the snow-capped beautiful Andes mountain range. The city is a blend of modern and colonial architecture and is rich in history.
We visited the Chilean Museum of Pre Columbian Art, which is dedicated to the study and display of pre-Columbian artworks and artifacts from Central and South America. We were completely enthralled with the display of such beautiful artwork that our local guide explained in detail to us.
Following the museum, we went to the Mercado Central de Santiago and were joined by a local chef. We walked through the fish market, stopping along the way to learn about the local seafood and to pick up some ingredients. We then all participated in a hands-on cooking experience at the chef’s restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed all the fresh foods and lunch that we helped to prepare.
After two nights in Santiago, we flew to Mendoza, Argentina, on an early flight arriving in the desert region of Mendoza known for its vineyards and Malbec wine and the stunning views of the Andes Mountains. Upon arriving at the vineyard, we were greeted with a pick-me-up taste of yerba mate tea, a traditional South American caffeinated drink. Our guide demonstrated how to make a cup, and explained the cultural significance of the beverage that brings many Argentinean families together for their daily “mate breaks.” After our “mate break,” we enjoyed a tour of the vineyard followed by wine tasting and lunch prepared by a private chef that was absolutely delicious.
The following morning, we visited the region’s renowned wines with a visit to a family winery. Wines were selected to show the richness of the terroirs and how to appreciate the unique qualities of the Lujan de Cuyo wine-producing sub-region with its dry, almost desert-like climate with irrigation from the Mendoza River’s pure Andean meltwater.
Mendoza is a city in western Argentina. It is the capital of the Mendoza Province and is known for its wine production. Mendoza is surrounded by mountains, making it a popular destination for adventure seekers.
The next morning, we flew to Buenos Aires for four nights and we were all elated in that there was no treacherous bus ride over the Andes. Buenos Aires is fabulous with so much history and it radiates Latin-infused rhythm mixed with European heritage. We enjoyed a guided tour of Buenos Aires, sampling the local eats and exploring the fusion of flavors that comes with the city’s Spanish, Italian, and Jewish influences. Our panoramic tour included the San Telmo, Puerto Madero, La Boca, and Recoleta neighborhoods. We then settled into the elegant Recoleta neighborhood at the beautiful Palladio Sofitel Hotel. The area is full of historical and architectural charm.
The day began with an impact moment focused on the work of the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, a human rights organization that has helped to restore the identities of children taken during Argentina’s military coup from 1976 to 1983. We met a child whose mother and father were young students at the university. The mother was abducted by the military from school when her son was just 10 days old. The father took the son to the country so he wouldn’t be taken as well, and they both were sequestered by family trying to save them.
The son explained to us that his mother’s remains had recently been found in Bueno Aires in a mass grave. They were able to identify her remains, and she had been shot eight times within about a week of her kidnapping by the government. The military was also kidnapping young children and babies and placing them with military families during this time. So anyone that disagreed with any government decision or spoke out in a negative way about the government during that time was taken away and killed, said to be a total of 30,000 people. They are just now finding mass graves in and around Buenos Aires.
Every Thursday, grandmothers and older mothers march in silent protest in the plaza called the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo with a diaper wrapped around their head to symbolize the babies that were taken away and given to the military families. Some of these children have now been found as adults by an organization that is trying to relocate and reunite children taken from their parents and placed with military families. Many have been identified now. Paintings of diapers in a large circle on the tiles of the plaza symbolize the children taken, and the Abuelos march in silent protest every Thursday still.
While in Buenos Aires, we visited the Recoleta Cemetery, which has beautiful old and historical large mausoleums for above-ground burial that is more for the privileged. Eva Peron, the legendary “Evita,” is buried there. We also visited the Palermo neighborhood with their colorful murals, all painted by local artists on an ongoing basis.
Our group all enjoyed our full-day excursion to Uruguay via an hour-long ferry ride across the Rio de Plata to Colonia del Sacramento. We traveled into the countryside to a family-run cheese farm. We enjoyed our tour of the farm and their homemade cheeses with a fabulous gourmet lunch and local wines. The owner joined us for part of the day as well. Upon our return to Buenos Aires early that evening, we enjoyed an amazing dinner with a beautiful tango show by professionals. We witnessed some stunning dance and acrobatic moves, which was impressive, as well some of us taking two hours of tango lessons which proved to be very challenging.
Our next cultural experience was in the countryside to explore Argentina’s Pampas region in San Antonio de Areco, which is know for the gaucho culture. We spent most of the day at a traditional Estancia, which happened to be the same one that I had been at years earlier with a dear girlfriend. The beautiful sprawling ranch land and rustic house was exactly the same, but they had added some other amenities to the property with a large public room for groups that was a bit crowded due to the torrential rain that day.
We all braved a beautiful carriage ride around the property in the pouring rain and gathered for the traditional lunch with flame-cooked meats and wine. All the outdoor cultural activities were canceled due to the increment weather, so the ping-pong table at the center proved quite popular with some great players. On my previous trip, we actually rode horses around the estancia with a gaucho followed by the same locally oriented folklore show with gaucho horsemanship we should have seen., but couldn’t due to the weather.
We arrived back in Buenos Aires later just in time for dinner. It was an early night as we all had to repack and organize luggage that night for our early morning flights to Iguazu Falls, Brazil. Intra-country travel always has different and more strict weight limitations for flights, which always prove to be very tricky. That hotel allowed us to store our luggage not traveling with us for two nights, and we had to pack a 22-pound bag for carry on for two nights and three days. That is not an easy task by any means, but we all managed to do it.
I added Brazil and Iguazu Falls onto our Collette tour. It is right there, and one of the 7 Wonders of the World, and really not to be missed. It is stunning and even though that was my second visit there, it moved me just as much if not more this trip. It seems that the older I get, I appreciate things more and things seem more important to me. The falls is huge and breathtaking. The words of Eleanor Roosevelt are all over the place in their promotional materials because she exclaimed “My Poor Niagara” upon seeing the Iguazu Falls. The falls, which border Argentina and Brazil, are majestic, overpowering, and consist of over 275 waterfalls.
There are long walkways with beautiful viewing locations for pictures in both countries. There are notable differences between the Iguazu and Niagara: Iguazu Falls has just under 2 million visitors a year, while Niagara has 12 million; Iguazu Falls’ longest drop is 80 meters at Devil’s Throat while Niagara’s is only 62 meters. Iguazu Falls has over 275 waterfalls, while Niagara has only four and Iguazu Falls is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while Niagara Falls is not.
It is well worth the effort to get to Iguazu Falls, even with its very difficult visa service. Thank goodness for Manny Valdes, who helped many of us with the process. The Rainforest Ecological train in the national park is fun and the jet boat up the river and dunking under the falls is a real adventure and thrill ride. Three of us took the front seat and were soaked in spite of all the rain gear they give you to stay dry. They compare Iguazu Falls to Victoria Falls, which is in Zimbabwe and Zambia, Africa, and I feel so privileged as I have been to all three of these incredible falls and countries several times. Life is good!
Our last day in Buenos Aires was a blur as we tried to fit everything in. We went to the Opera House, which was stunning, and the Crypt Mausoleum,or Catacombs, which is an underground museum — also fascinating. The owner. upon hearing that we were from California, came out to meet us and talk to my group.
Jorge Eckstein, called “Don Jorge” by his loving staff, bought the two-story villa to remodel it into a restaurant in 1985. He had to buy the property without ever seeing the inside. After the sale was final, they had to put a ladder up to the second-story balcony and go in one of the bedroom patio doors as there was no key to the villa ever found. What they found is the city’s most important archaeological site, a portal to an underground labyrinth with caverns and tunnels leading everywhere. The soon realized the value of this important historical find.
The restaurant idea was scrapped and Mr. Eckstein started renovating in 1985 and continues to this day because of the profound historical value of the site. It is a museum and also used as an event center with the artifacts and beautiful historical pieces that have been unearthed. It was so interesting and we had a lovely visit from Mr. Eckstein.
When he asked where we were from, we all said Solvang. He promptly told us he had been to Solvang many times as he goes to Santa Barbara a few times a year. His son, Dr. Miguel Eckstein, is a psychological and brain science professor at UCSB and works in neuroscience. Dr. Eckstein’s bio is very impressive with over 200 publications of his work and numerous fellowships and awards. He is highly credentialed and has degrees from Berkley and UCLA as well as doing research at Cedars Sinai and NASA before coming to UCSB.
I will be reaching out to both Don Jorge as well as his son and hope to meet them on his next visit to Santa Barbara and Solvang. This is the BONUS of travel, meeting such amazing people along the way! It’s a small world really, and this type of thing happens often in my travels.
The Collette Essence of South America tour proved to be yet another adventurous and beautiful trip for all of us. We leave the countries behind, but relive the adventures every time we tell the stories of all the fun we have had. Looking back at all of your pictures brings each and every moment back to you in full detail. Travel affords the best education for you as you learn about each culture and country. We are so diverse, yet so similar in so many ways. I marvel at the spirit of joy you find, even in the poorest of countries. The resilience of the people and the kindness of most people to help one another truly is inspiring and beautiful to witness.
Again, rounding the coast on Highway 101 on our chartered bus we always exclaim “there is no place like home,” and we all sincerely mean that even though the trip was magical in so many ways and we had the very best time. Coming home feels so good and sleeping in your own bed at last is the greatest!
The commission from this trip was donated to the SY Aquatics Foundation and Olive Crest. Our trip in February to Singapore, Thailand, and Cambodia will be dedicated to People Helping People and new trips that are available to book will be to Iceland with a stopover on the return in New York in September 2026, and India and Nepal in February of 2027, a fall trip for 2027 is undecided at this time. Email for details and reservations to Linda Johansen at: lindyjo2003@yahoo.com. Buellton Recreation will be sending out the two new listed trips shortly. There are only 24 seats for Iceland and 17 for India.
