Author Archives: travellingtoothbrushes

About travellingtoothbrushes

We are a couple of journalists with restless toothbrushes. Our teeth scrubbers seem unable to leap out of their respective washbags to take up a permanent residency on the bathroom shelf. So, we've decided to let them live the way they want to and take them on a trip around South America...

Fire and Water in lovely Lima

Posted on February 2, 2012 by travellingtoothbrushes

“Okay, okay, I’ve got one,” I tell Phil with a grin, rubbing my hands together gleefully. “When…is our anniversary?” Silence. Phil looks nervously left and right. He scrunches his face up with a sort of pained wince and even looks desperately at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Lima, Peru | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty…”

Posted on January 29, 2012 by travellingtoothbrushes

It is 5.45am in a dusty bus terminal somewhere near the Chile / Peru border. We are the only gringos in town. Trying to reawaken drowsy, sleep-deprived senses after a shaky overnight journey across the Atacama I order a couple … Continue reading →

Posted in Arica, Chile, Peru, Tacna | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Dune running in the dark at the driest desert on Earth

Posted on January 25, 2012 by travellingtoothbrushes

“It is now dark, time for you to run full speed down the side of this 150-metre high sand dune. Go.” At first I thought our guide was joking. He wasn’t. So, after necking a Pisco Sour, Sophie and I launch … Continue reading →

Posted in Chile, San Pedro de Atacama | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Zig-zagging through the vineyards of Mendoza…

Posted on January 19, 2012 by travellingtoothbrushes

“Rich aromas of pine and oak with hints of treacle and cinnamon gently coming through to caress and tickle the back of one’s throat,” salivates the pretentious Swiss woman.

Posted in Tacuarembó, Words of wisdom (teeth) | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bikes and booze in Bariloche

Posted on January 16, 2012 by travellingtoothbrushes

On a quiet road with a stunning backdrop there can be no better mode of transport than two wheels. Situated on the Argentina/Chile border it is easy to understand why Che Guevara once dreamed about settling down in Bariloche next … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Bariloche | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A poetic trip up Route 40

Posted on January 14, 2012 by travellingtoothbrushes

Years spent working outdoors in the glare of the Patagonian summer sun and braving icy winter gales have given the elderly man’s wrinkled skin a deep burnished caramel tan. Doffing his black grandpa cap in my direction, he eases himself … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Chile, Patagonia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Hands of Time

Posted on January 12, 2012 by travellingtoothbrushes

It’s a spooky sight. The coloured handprints creep out from the darkness and upwards, along a large gallery of rock, as if trying to claw their way out of history. We have driven 40 minutes outside of the small, lakeside town … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, cueva de las manos, Los Antiguos | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment