In history we only point to the dominant figures, those who destroyed or constructed, leaving behind a trail of blood or a ray of hope. We do not remember the shoulders that bore them, or the courage of the masses that gave them their strength, the collective mind that exalted their minds, the unknown hands that pointed out to them the ideal that only the most fortunate attained. And often the unknown person is the one whose cooperation was most vital in bringing about the great event.

--Joäo Capistrano de Abreu, as quoted in E. Bradford Burns, "The Poverty of Progress: Latin America in the Nineteenth Century," (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1980), p. 70.

SINCE the debt crisis of the early 1980s there has been a radical series of transformations in the developmental, political, and cultural spheres of Latin America and the Caribbean. Our virtual field trip will attempt to capture some of this transformation in its peoples and landscapes.

Our virtual field trip begins in Mexico, where we acquire an overview of some of the more popular areas of the country. We also gain some insight into the living and retiring of Americans who make Mexico their home. Now that we have an overview of the country, our virtual tour of cities begins with the capital of Mexico City where we encounter traditional celebrations and tour her museums of unparalleled pre-Colombian art collections. Along the way we're taken on a search to locate the roots of the city (1500 B.C. - 1500 A.D.), and a walking tour of its historical center, where we visit the Chapultepec area and the Paseo de la Reforma Avenue, and much more. A train ride takes us to the beautiful Copper Canyon, Cocoyoc, and Vista Hermosa, where we view the largest restored Hacienda in Mexico, or to a place where Mexican films are often made. This same tour takes us to the cities of Puebla, Cholula, Tula, or to Cacaxtla, once the bastion of the Olmec-Xicalanca culture. We visit the famous archeological sites at La Venta, take a ride up the Oaxaca mountain countryside to San Cristobal de las Casas, where the indigenous Indians are agitating against the Mexican government for more reforms. Our field trip continues on to the archeological site of Palenque in the state of Tabasco. Our tour winds its way to the beautiful Mayan site of Chichen Itza in the state of Yucatan. Finally, we are left with a beautiful beach tour mixed in with the rich folklore of Mexico. Reluctantly, we leave this beautiful country and people to continue our Latin American virtual field trip.

DURING the past several decades, Central American countries have grappled with the complex issues of development and reducing poverty while avoiding environmental destruction. Even though large gaps in living standards between the elites and the majority of the population still exists, rapid social and economic change is underway. Our virtual field trip will attempt to capture Central America today.

Our Central American field trip begins in Guatemala, where we pick up a tour of the country. We find ourselves on a study tour of El Salvador that not only provides us with an excellent background in El Salvadoran history, but also allows us to follow along with a local social worker who visits her clients. Our tour to Honduras takes us to Santa Rosa de Copan, a rural hilltop town famous for its cigar factory. We also visit the ancient Copan ruins, Tela, Utilla, and the coastal town of Trujillo. A Honduran Notebook tour by a tourist takes us to Límon and Colon, the Calentura National Park, the island of Guanaja, and more. Our Nicaraguan tour begins in its beautiful northern mountain ranges. We go birding, and gain some understanding of the culture and people of this wonderful country. Experience Nicaragua presents a short video clip depicting the scenic mountains, driving in Granada, a city market, and more. Costa Rica has been called the Switzerland of the Americas because of its backbone of volcanoes and mountains. We begin with San Jose and the Central Valley, where we visit museums and take day trips to the Irazu Volcano, the Carara Biological Reserve, and more. It's time to take a more personal look at the cities of the Central Valley, such as Alajuela, Heredia, Escauz, and the Capital San Jose. Lastly, for those interested in the tremendous ecological treasures of Costa Rica, we are invited along on a virtual tour of the National Parks of Costa Rica, where more than a quarter of her land has been set aside for conservation. Our last stop in Central America is Panama, with an beautiful photo tour of the country. Our next stop on our virtual field trip is the Caribbean.

THE Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the continental rimland nations of South America make up the Caribbean culture realm. Our tour begins in Cuba and covers all aspects of Cuban culture, history, and politics, while also meeting the people, places, events and travel that makes Cuba unique. From Cuba we hop over to Puerto Rico and an introduction to the history of colonialism. We also gain some insight into the question of statehood or status quo for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. We are invited to take some time to explore this tropical island, where you find mountains and valleys, miles of white and sandy beaches, and a people and culture that is charming. We visit the island of Hispaniola, where we tour the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Our tour to Jamaica, accompanied by sounds, takes us to Port Antonio, the Blue Mountains, Kingston, Alpart, Bamboo Avenue, Negril, Montego Bay, Rose Hall, Cockpit Country, Dunns River Falls, and Ocho Rios. Bob Marley's spirit is certainly with us on this tour. Leaving the islands, we travel to the Caribbean Rimland of Belize, and gain a basic introduction of the country, learn something about the Mayan culture, visit the Caycs for scuba and snorkling, and, through a photo gallery gain some knowledge about this country. Our visit to Guyana begins in an Ameriandian village, visiting with some of the villagers. From there we tour Guyana, meeting its people and experiencing its culture. In Suriname our virtual field trip is through their tropical rainforest, their plants and animals, their Indians, and Maroons, many with sounds.

STATES and societies within South America (as in Latin America) are currently undergoing rapid change, re-articulating their internal and external relations in the face of the post-Cold War developments and the increasing globalization of society. Consequently, our virtual field trip to South America will capture a full range of spatial and economic development. Our tour begins in the Andean South American country of Venezuela, where we learn some basic facts, and we tour her landscapes. Our virtual field trip continues on to Colombia, where we visit Cartagena and Ibague. Our next tour takes us to Bogota, Cali, San Andres, and others. After leaving Colombia we stop off in Ecuador for a tour of its capital Quito, and on to Cotopaxi and the Avenue of the Volcanoes, then to the port cities of Guayaquil and Cuenca before our flight and tour of the Galapagos Islands. Ecuador offers such diversity that we decide to let Xavier Silva take us on an insider's tour to Fernandina Island in the Galapagos chain. We are treated to a boat ride at Machalilla National Park on the coast south of Quito, and from there a bus-train ride to San Lorenzo on the north coast of Quito. Probably the most "Andean" of the South American countries, we arrive in Peru, where we begin our tour of Machu Picchu and the breathtaking stone fortress in the heart of the Andes. We visit the Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca, Lima, and the northern regions of Peru. Another Peruvian tour provides us with remarkable views of Machu Picchu, of Cusco and the Sacred Valley, and much more. Our last stop in Andean South America is Bolivia, the "Jewel of the Andes."

SOUTHERN South America is composed of Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, a region known collectively as the Southern Cone. Our tour begins in Chile, a 4,300 km-long by 180 km-wide nation with some of the most diverse and magnificent landscapes in the Americas. We visit the city of Antofagasta, and then take a tour of Santiago, the capital of Chile. On another tour of Chile, we experience the spectacular vistas of Los Cuemos del Paine in Torres del Paine National Park. We also visit Northern Chile and the coastal Atacama desert, the driest in the world. Then it's a boat ride over to the mysterious Easter Island. From Chile we round Cape Horn and Tierra del Fuego, arriving in Argentina, and a tour of Buenos Aires, the "Paris of South America," as they like to call themselves. Another tour of Buenos Aires whisks us to some of the city's more impressive landscapes. We tour the Patagonia, described in your text as "a sparsely populated, dry, windswept plateau." We reluctantly leave Argentina, cross the La Plata River and enter Uruguay, where we visit Punta del Este, Colonia del Sacramento, Montevideo, and others. Our visit to Paraguay is through the unique eyes of one of its citizens.

A NATION of striking contrasts, Brazil is the largest Latin American nation and the fifth largest country in the world in terms of area and population. Our virtual field trip of Portuguese-speaking Brazil begins in Recife (Pernambuco, Brazil), the capital of the state of Pernambuco. Next we tour Brazil and the cities of Sao Lourenco, Angra Dos Reis, Campos Do Jordao, Rio Belo Horizonte, many beach, river, and zoo scenes, as well as the two principal cities of Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro. . This site offers information about many beautiful and fascinating cities, as well as useful material about the states. You can also check the current weather here. An exciting Amazon Adventure awaits us before heading home.

We hope your virtual field trip to Latin America has been enjoyable. Please visit us often.

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