For the first time since we arrived in Mendoza, Argentina on March 10th, low infection numbers and a change in government policy have allowed us to take a mini-road-trip 500 miles south to Northern Patagonia to see today's Total Solar Eclipse. Shooting was a bit tricky with the 35 mph wind, but we got the job done and here's a little composite of the eclipse. Note the solar flares during totality, especially visible in the top right. If you want more, check out our How to Photograph a Solar Eclipse post - https://trans-americas.com/how-to-photograph-a-solar-eclipse/ Or, our full post full of photos from last year's total solar eclipse which was also visible in Argentina - https://trans-americas.com/solar-eclipse-argentina-2019

We’d like to introduce you to the fourth #puma we’ve seen so far in #Patagonia. A few days ago we spent about 15 minutes watching this female near a dirt road through a section of Parque Patagonia @parquepatagonia  just a few miles from the lovely La Posta de Los Toldos lodge @lapostadelostoldos . Our thanks to @rewilding_argentina, which is the new incarnation of @tompkins_conservation, for protecting this land so that species like the puma can thrive here and travelers like us can come and see them. @VisitArgentina  @rewilding_experience

Every day in the #Patagonia region of #Argentina is a good day. Spending 20 minutes with this guy roaming around in the rain at @CampamentoDarwin yesterday made it a very, very, very good day. @VisitArgentina @turismo_puertodeseado @puerto.penacho

Stars over Cotopaxi Volcano, Ecuador - shot from @hosteriatambopaxi - @ecuadortravel

One of the most magical sunsets in the world happens when the Uyuni Salt Flats in #Bolivia are flooded. That's why we drove back a second time to experience this magical moment.  @experiencebolivia

Carnival last week in Oruro, Bolivia. Carnaval de Oruro is one of the largest carnival celebrations in Latin America and UNESCO has named Carnaval de Oruro a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Here is she-devil China Supay from the Diablada Ferroviaria dance group. It may seem strange that a Catholic celebration has a dance devoted to the devil, but  Oruro is a mining town and indigenous miners created a protective figure in their underworld called El Tio (The Uncle). In an effort to debunk the pagan figure, Catholic priests told the miners that El Tio was the devil, but El Tio remains important to this day. The Diablada Carnival tradition was created as a way of placating the El Tio “devil” with a dance of his own so that the protector of miners wouldn’t become jealous of all of the Carnival dances devoted to angels and Virgins. But have no fear. Saint Michael is also part of the Diablada tradition and he always prevails. Diablada costumes of all sorts are some of the most elaborate and expensive. ⬆️⬆️ See our photo-filled Carnival post all mew on our blog. Link in Bio ⬆️⬆️ The Diablada of Oruro represents the tale of the struggle between the archangel Saint Michael and Lucifer, the she-devil China Supay and devils accompanying them.

We just turned 12! Today marks 12 years of full-time travel on our little Trans-Americas Journey working road-trip. And we’re not done yet, so stay tuned for more independent, comprehensive, and journalistic travel coverage you can use as our adventure through the Americas continues. >> www.trans-americas.com << Lightpainting with our new @lumecube

Happy 100th Birthday Grand Canyon National Park! 🎂 @GrandCanyonNPS celebrates 100 years since it's designation as the 15th National Park by President Woodrow Wilson on February 26th, 1919. When it first opened as a National Park, around 45,000 visited it each year. Now, more than 6 million people visit a year. 90% of those visitors only the South Rim. BUT, there's soooo much more. This photo is of the remote Toroweap area of the park that sees fewer than 10,000 visitors per year. It's not easy to get to, but well worth the effort. We are celebrating the parks 100th birthday with a Photo Essay on our blog https://trans-americas.com/grand-canyon-national-park-travel/