As we adapt to new rhythms, we are reminded of the power of nature to bring peace and calm.
Art for You, Art for the Family
We have created three downloadable images – *click here to download artworks*– containing short stories about the place and wildlife they depict. Pick up a paintbrush yourself, or buy yourself a little peace and quiet by setting your children the task.
The three artworks are have the following stories:
The Brave Dusky Swifts of Iguazu
You may have heard of Iguazu and its famous falls? In total, this corner of Northern Argentina is home to more than 275 waterfalls, some of them measuring 80 metres in height. The mighty rush of falling water has created a network of waterways that has shaped and smoothed the surrounding basalt rocks, clearing flora and fauna from its path. However, one species has managed to make the magnificent cascades its home: the Great Dusky Swift. Measuring 18 cm in length, these swifts are dark brown in colour with pale coloured heads. It is mesmerising to watch them fly through the thunderous curtains of water. All around these fast-moving birds, the verdant Atlantic Rainforest pulses with life, and the sun filters through billions of droplets of rising water forming a rainbow overhead.
Did you know that the Iguazu Falls are part of the Atlantic Rainforest?
Sirio in Argentina draws the Brave Dusky Swifts at Iguazu @dehouche
Atacama Flamingos by @jumiiito
Spring in Patagonia
Snow is slowly melting off the high granite peaks, and large herds of guanacos (a camelid native to South America, closely related to the llama) start crossing the Patagonia Steppe in search of food for their offspring. Turquoise lakes and ever-changing skies contrast with the intense red sprouts of prickly Neneos bushes. Everything is silent, except for the whisper of the wind that whisks through the air carrying the scent of yellow Paramela blossoms. The guanacos never fully rest, they are always on the lookout as pumas, foxes and condors roam the grasslands of Torres del Paine in Southern Chile.
Did you know that Chile is in the Southern Hemisphere where spring starts in September? Which hemisphere do you live in?
Life in the High Andes
At 3800 meters above sea level, where the landscape is made up of volcanoes, desert and salt lakes, it seems unlikely that you would find much life. And yet, the Altiplano (a high plateau where the Andes Mountains are at their widest) is filled with colour and incredible wildlife. The mineral-rich soil gives the mountains many different shades – from red to brown and purple, and everything in between. The wetlands are speckled with bright pink Andean Flamingos, their feathers and long legs moving rhythmically against the bluest of skies.
Is this how you would have imagined the most arid place on Earth?
Share your creation with us on instagram @awasiexperience using the hashtag #TravelWithYourSenses
Positive spin: Levison photographed by FRANCESCO GUIDICINI published in The Sunday Times
The Joy of Travel
The joy of travel is a combination of the build up, the actual experience and the memories afterwards.
“Nostalgia is a powerful drug,” writes adventurer Levison Wood in The Sunday Times newspaper, “remind yourself how lucky you — we — have been to travel so widely.”