I’ve been lucky enough to see Cuba from 2 different angles: the touristic side and the business side. I’ve traveled with a friend of mine who regularly organises trips to Cuba. We went for a one week trip in the west side of the island in the green and prolific region of Pinar del Rio (Viñales) and pushed to Maria La Gorda, one of the most famous Cuban diving sites. We then picked up a group of 30 teenagers to lead a tour from Havana to Trinidad, Cienfuegos and Varadero. It was an amazing experience, discovering all the different touristic places with this bunch of curious and lovely kids, and seeing what was going on behind the curtains when we were dealing with local people and companies. It’s definitely the most contrasted country I’ve visited, such a rift between the rich and the poor, the ones who work with tourists and the others: this dual CUP/CUC economy feels like splitting the country in half. Despite this sad aspect, Cuba maintains an authentic way of living, and its culture is everywhere in the streets of every village and city: they dance at the rhythm of Salsa and Reggaeton music and know how to party, always happy to charm the tourists coming along. For a photographer, this is like paradise: the old colonial-style buildings, the old american cars, the old papis and mamis and kids dancing in the streets and all in a joyful festival of colours and flavoured rums!

I’ve arrived in Bolivia from the Peruvian border, spent a couple of days in Copacabana/Isla Del Sol on the lake Titicaca (3812m altitude) before heading to La Paz, the super hilly, authentic and bubbly city of Bolivia, the highest capital in the world (3640m). The Death Road by bike is not to be missed with its impressive scenery is a thrilling experience. From there I flew to Rurrenabaque, a city at the border of the Amazonian jungle for a three day trek in the Pampas, with its exotic wildlife: a 3.5m anaconda, many piranhas (easy to fish, not so great to eat) and many pink dolphins and caimans amongst others. And last but not least, the south of the country towards Chile: Los Salar de Uyuni (the famous pristine desert of salt), the 3000m+ Altiplano, high Bolivian plateau with its hot springs, geysers and lagunas full of flamingoes. Bolivia has easily shown one of the most stunning nature I’ve ever seen during all my trips.

I spent about three weeks in Patagonia, started in Puerto Montt in Chile to finish in Punta Arenas, going back and forth between Chile and Argentina. This is a paradise of wilderness, with the impressive Carretera Austral that holds such an overwhelming feeling of freedom: very safe and easy to hitchhike and meet heartwarming locals that are used to welcome foreigners. The big touristic spots such as Torres Del Paine and Perito Moreno are not to be missed either despite being a little bit too touristic to my taste.

I spent almost a month in Colombia, between hyper-cultural bubbly cities (Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Cartagena) and the country-side (Salento, La Macarena). It’s easy to get lost and party all the time in Colombia, so many tourists and expats are living the dream. But the political development of these recent years reminds us that History is currently being written, and that culturally this is an amazing country. From the quality museums relating ancient heritages to the new wave of street art displayed proudly on the walls of restructured formerly-sensitive neighbourhoods, this is a true spectacle for the eyes…and ears, with a very live music and dancing scene! The country-side is no less spectacular with its colourful sceneries, with its truly unique Caño Cristales for instance. That is so far my favourite country in South America.