The wonder goal came in a top flight Bolivian league encounter between his side Nacional Potosi and The Strongest, with Mealla’s strike proving to be the difference between the two sides.

It’s a goal that global superstars such as Barcelona’s Lionel Messi or Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo would have been proud of.

As the ball gets lumped hopefully towards the opposition box, Mealla shows audacious skill to bring the ball under his control.

While £35m target man Andy Carroll might have attempted to flick on such a hopeful ball forward, Mealla shows the kind of exquisite technique which usually justifies such astronomical transfer fees.

Under pressure from a defender the forward instantaneously adapts his body position to send a powerful flying backheel past the stranded goalkeeper.

The strike was reminiscent of Glentoran striker Matty Burrows’ 2011 strike which earned him a FIFA Goal of the Year nomination alongside the likes of Argentine superstar Messi.

We’ll let you decide if this is better.

As well as disseminating information about volunteer work the site also provides the wish lists of host organizations and charities. Even if you don’t intend to volunteer in Africa you can still help worthy causes by donating equipment and resources in the area you plan to visit.

Volunteer 4 Africa is wonderful one-stop shop for volunteers and responsible travellers interested in making a difference. If you want to support their work and start recruiting your friends to the cause visit their new Facebook page and click the like button (www.facebook.com/volunteer4africa).

Modern cemeteries run the gamut from park-like settings with simple gravestones to elaborate cities of the dead with architecture rivalling buildings designed for the living. Basic or bombastic, cemeteries tell us how people died, but also how they lived.

One of the most fascinating cemeteries on earth is La Recoleta, located in a classy Buenos Aires neighbourhood. It is an elegant masterpiece of architecture for the afterlife. The wide pathways (which are often patrolled by resident cats) are lined with mausoleums noteworthy for their variety of styles: cathedral, art nouveau, and modernistic boxes that one guide described as “ATM-style.” This cemetery is also known for its eclectic symbols including a menorah with a cross, lots of Masonic pyramids, and even some statues of pagan gods. Although Eva Peron is the most famous resident, the most tragic story belongs to Rufina Cambaceres who was buried alive here.

On the day of her 19th birthday, Rufina discovered that her mother was sleeping with Rufina’s boyfriend. A stunned Rufina fell into a catatonic state and was declared dead by two physicians (called to the scene by her mother). The poor girl was buried but woke up screaming and clawing at her casket. By the time a cemetery guard discovered the cracked lid on her coffin, she had died (for real) of a heart attack.

Baracoa

Tucked away in the far eastern corner of Cuba, Baracoa’s distance from Havana makes it one of the least visited areas of the country. This has ensured that many of the local people have kept their traditions and continue to preserve the region’s pristine eco-system.

It is Cuba’s oldest settlement and was one of the first landing sites for Christopher Columbus back in 1492. Anyone venturing down here is captivated by the scenic journey, snaking along mountain sides before a final descent into this quaint little city, overlooked by the imposing tabletop mountain – El Yunque.

Surrounded by lush rainforest and stunning secluded beaches, Baracoa is a world away from the hustle and bustle of Havana and well worth a visit to see another side to this fascinating country. Cocoa trees are found in abundance in the local area so be sure to sample the local chocolate.

Horticultural tour of an Organopónico

Organopónicos are a system of urban organic gardens that have sprung up in Cuba as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Back in the 1990s the collapse, combined with the US trade embargo, drastically left the country with insufficient food and other essential supplies, like petrol and machinery.

Faced with this crisis the government introduced a system of self-sufficiency by giving land and water to cooperatives in return for a share of the crops. Thus an organic revolution began to take place all over Cuba, with the imaginative use of any spare space to grow food; crumbling walls supporting plant pots and old parking lots converted into small vegetable plots and the Organopónicos were born.

Featured by the broadcaster Monty Don in his TV programme Around the World in 80 Gardens, visiting one of these impressive plots and being proudly shown around by a local gardener is a fascinating insight into everyday life in Cuba and a truly wonderful experience.

Sancti Spiritus

This delightful colonial town just an hour from Trinidad, is full of charm and character and much over-looked by most visitors to Cuba. It was, like Trinidad, founded by Diego Velazquez in 1514 and became the military, political and economic centre of the area in the colonial period. This led to the city being embellished with elegant 17th and 18th century mansions with a compact and attractive colonial centre similar to Trinidad’s but far more peaceful with appealingly local authenticity.

There is a simple but charming hotel located right on its attractive central plaza called the Hotel de Rijo. A stay here can make a welcome break from the humdrum of Cuba’s larger cities.

Huddled in a twin-engine Dornier 228 aeroplane called the Carnegie Airborne Observatory, the scientists are capturing multicoloured images of the Peruvian rainforest canopy that verge on the psychedelic.

Inside the plane, a machine known as a Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) bounces a laser beam off the forest canopy 400,000 times per second – the result is a three-dimensional map of the forest showing unprecedented detail.

In addition, a spectrometre, kept at a temperature of -131C (-204F), measures the biodiversity of the jungle in vivid colours by registering the chemical and optical properties of the forest canopy. The team can scan 360 sq km each hour.

“The technology that we have here gives us a first-ever look at the Amazon in its full three-dimensional detail, over very large regions,” said Asner, who is conducting the research for the department of Ecology at the Carnegie Institution for Science, based at Stanford University, California.

“[It's] the critical information that’s missing for managing these systems, for conserving them and for developing policy to better utilise the Amazon basin as a resource, while still protecting what it has in terms of its biological diversity.”

As well as measuring how the forest ecosystem is responding to the 2010 Amazon drought – the worst ever recorded – the technology accurately monitors deforestation and degradation, and has revealed unexpectedly high levels of biodiversity in high forest on the Andean rim of the Amazon basin.

The data could prove critical to the United Nation’s Redd (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) initiative, which will be the biggest future source of funding to protect the planet’s tropical forest.

The programme is designed to compensate tropical countries for reducing deforestation and forest degradation.

“Redd cannot exist without scientifically monitored data on carbon stock,” said Asner, who may have invented the most efficient way of measuring it to date.

Daniel Nepstad, director and president of the international programme at the Brazil-based Amazon Environmental Research Institute (Ipam), and a leading expert on Redd programmes, described Asner as in “a league of his own in resolving the technical challenges that must be overcome for Redd to realise its potential.”

Having scanned some of the Peruvian Amazon’s most inaccessible places, Asner says the region has one of the “most incredible portfolios of biodiversity”. But Asner said his initial research showed a radical increase of illicit alluvial gold mining in Peru’s Amazon region of Madre de Dios since it was last mapped in 2009, making it the region’s primary cause of deforestation – an area estimated to exceed 100 sq km.

Virgen de la Candelaria is the patron saint of the city of Puno, located 3,870 meters above sea level.

This festival has given Puno the title of “Capital del Folklore Peruano” (Capital of Peruvian Folklore) and is considered one of the three most important religious festival in South America.

On the main day, 2 February, the virgin is led through the city in a colourful procession. The festival is linked to the pre-Hispanic agricultural cycles of sowing and harvesting. Go and see the famous dance of the demons, mass, banquets and firework displays. To end the celebrations the dancers who fill the streets finally head to the cemetery to render homage to the dead.

Copan, Honduras

December 21, 2012 marks the end of a cycle of 5,125 years since the beginning of the Mayan Long Count calendar in 3113 BC. Some people think this means the Mayans predicted the world would end on this day, but most modern Mayan scholars actually think it’s simply the end of one era and the beginning of another, a time of rebirth and celebration.

No matter which you believe, if you want a ringside seat for the event, you’ll have plenty of ancient Mayan sites to choose from. Honduras, and specifically the ruins at Copan, should be at the top of your list. Less touristic than Tikal, Chichen Itza, or Tulum, Copan sits just one mile outside of the of Copan Ruinas, a hilly small town where cowboys still ride through the cobblestone streets and vendors sell handmade tortillas from street stalls for only a dollar. Outside of town, you can visit a coffee plantation, learn to cook a traditional Honduran meal, or soak in a natural hot spring. And unlike neighbouring Costa Rica, Honduras has yet to become an eco-adventure hotspot, so it’s a bit easier to get off the beaten path, plus, since the country experience a major drop in tourism in 2009 (due to the ousting of President Zelaya and the resulting protests) and is still recovering, it’s cheaper than more popular destinations in the region.

The big day is predicted for December 21, 2012, which falls during the country’s dry season when temperature are hot but not too humid and there is little rain.

Chichen Itza, Mexico

Hidden deep within the jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula lie the ruins of one of the largest cities of Mayan civilisation. Chichen Itza is noted for illustrating the fusion of Mayan-Toltec civilizations, through its multitude of elaborate and highly decorated ceremonial structures, including temples, pyramids, palaces and observatories.

Highlights of this UNESCO World Heritage site include the Great Hall Court, El Castillo and the Temple of the Warriors. Visit in March to witness the Descent of Kukulcan, where sculptures of Feathered Serpents running down the sides of the northern staircase of El Castillo, appear to come to life.

As above, the big day is December 21, 2012. Join the celebrations at El Castillo, the grand pyramid in Chichen Itza dedicated to Kukulkan, a feathered serpent deity.

Chile

Although Chile isn’t as popular as other South American countries such as Peru, Brazil, Argentina or Colombia, it offers plenty for the independent traveller. From the dry deserts and unique landscapes of the north to the bustling metropolis that is Santiago, to the beauty of the lake districts and the wildness of Patagonia in the south, Chile has a diversity of scenery not found in many other countries. Add in the friendly locals, the amazing beef that rivals neighbour Argentina, and a plethora of seafood with nearly 4000 miles of coastline, and Chile should start getting some attention.

While Chile isn’t as cheap as some other South American destinations like Peru and Bolivia, cost of travel is still extremely low when compared to more western locations like Europe and North America. There is a major international hub in Santiago, and the overland transport options are many, with cheap and comfortable overland buses and unique river and fjord travel options in the south. If you’re a hiker and outdoors type, Torres del Paine in Chilean Patagonia regularly tops lists of greatest places in the world to trek. The landscape of this country nestled between the Atlantic and the Andes needs to be seen to be believed, and if you are into lakes, glaciers, volcanoes, beaches, and salt flats, you’ll be happy with a trip to Chile.

Because Chile spans such a large north to south area, when you visit largely depends on where you’re going. If heading to Patagonia in the south, then the summer months of December to February provide the best weather (but also the larger crowds and prices).

If visiting the central part of the country (Santiago and Valparaiso), visiting any time between October and April is good, but spring or fall will provide you with the most pleasant time. The areas in the north, including the Atacama Desert (the driest desert on Earth), can be visited year-round, just be aware of the altitude, which means hot days and cool nights no matter what time of year you visit. Summer is the rainy season in the northern altiplano, but you can expect just an afternoon shower daily instead of weeks of rain at a time.

Nicaragua

Central American countries have been gobbled up by independent travellers for years. Costa Rica was an early and obvious target, and in recent years Guatemala and Panama have risen up the ladder as well. While Nicaragua isn’t exactly undiscovered, however, it doesn’t tend to be as popular with travellers – making it an ideal ‘next stop’ on your Central American tour.

Like other countries in Central America, Nicaragua is an excellent destination for eco-tourism – between two long stretches of coastline on the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea there are volcanoes to hike and huge lakes to enjoy, not to mention places like the famous Corn Islands just offshore. Nicaragua’s capital of Managua was severely damaged in a 1972 earthquake, but the gorgeous colonial cities of Granada and León more than makes up for whatever Managua lacks. Granada is Nicaragua’s oldest colonial city, and León has some of the best-preserved colonial architecture in the country.

While the price of travel in many parts of Central America remains fairly low and you won’t lure anyone to Nicaragua solely because of the promise of cheap travel, Nicaragua is far cheaper to visit than Costa Rica or Panama. It’s one of the best bargains in the region, and with tourism numbers increasing exponentially in recent years it’s not likely to stay that way forever.

Returning to work after what proved to be a false cancer diagnosis that prompted doctors to remove her thyroid, Cristina Fernandez showed off her scar during an animated address to her ministers that was broadcast nationwide.

Questions raised by opposition media about her diagnosis and operation had prompted Fernandez to release her medical records.

Doctors removed the entire gland after discovering several more lumps during surgery. Tests then showed the growths were benign.

She concentrated much of her speech at Cameron, who angered Argentines while she was away by accusing them of having “colonialist” attitudes toward the Falklands. “I heard they’re calling us colonialist. … One is always tempted to respond, but I think it’s better to avoid it. When they say these things it’s exactly because they don’t have reasons or arguments,” she said.

Argentina has called on Britain to negotiate the sovereignty of the remote South Atlantic archipelago it calls the Malvinas. Britain has maintained a military presence there since liberating the islands in 1982 from an ill-fated Argentine attempt to take them back.

Fernandez announced that she is making public the Rattenbach Report, a long-secret analysis of Argentine leadership failures that called the war a “military adventure” and recommended criminal penalties for those responsible. The report was prepared in 1982, just before the end of Argentina’s dictatorship, but was kept classified to keep anyone from being punished.

Fernandez sought to draw a clear line between what she called the militarism of other governments and the democracy she leads.

“Next year will mark 180 years since the usurpation by the government of United Kingdom, which threw out the Argentines who were there (on the islands). They want to make us out to be the bad and violent little ones, something we’re not,” she said.

She noted that there are more British people living in Buenos Aires than on the disputed islands, and praised the many British businesses located in Argentina. “I would advise Cameron to have a little talk with the executives of these businesses, so that they can tell him how we Argentines are.”