I definitely plan to go back. There are so many things I wanted to see and do that were just a little too far away with the amount of time I had. Here's a list of future South American trip ideas, with the best season to visit weather-wise:
•Peru: Santa Cruz trek in Cordillera Blanca (4 days, Alpamayo “prettiest mountain in world”), Trujillo/Chan Chan (beach & Chimu ruins, largest mudbrick), ruins of Chachapoyas' culture at Kuelap (rivaling Machu Picchu but preceding Incas by 1000 years), canoe from Lagunas to see dolphins (in mating season, when males lift rocks in bill) in Pacaya-Samaria Reserve, trek to Vilcabamba & back to Choquequirao to Machu Picchu (18 days, hire guide in Huancacalle), Moray Incan garden amphitheatre, boat from Pucallpa down Ucayali to Iquitos – 1 month in June-Sept.
For those interested, fellow tourists told me that Ecuador was very similar to Peru (Andes & Amazon), but sites were much closer together and easier to get to.
•Venezuela: Angel Falls, Roraima tupui, possibly Kateira Falls (highest single drop, in neighoring western Guyana) – 2-3 weeks in Oct-Nov.
•Brazil: Carnaval (late Feb), Salvador, the Panatanal (south floods in March) – 3 weeks in Feb-March.
•Argentina: Tierra del Fuego (+/- Antarctica by boat, Dec-Feb), up Che Guevera’s route in "The Motorcycle Diaries" thru Patagonia to Mendoza (wine & fall colors), Aconcagua climb (22,800 ft/6960 m; tallest outside Himalayas), non-technical, Dec 1-March 1, minimum 18 days & $3,ooo if use agency), Rosario, Cordoba – 1 month in Feb.
