South America Round-up

We spent 2 wonderful months in Argentina, with brief detours into Chile and Uruguay. Now that we've fled to Europe, here's a quick roundup of our impressions of our time in a small slice of South America:

Best Food
Rachel: The asado we made one night in El Chalten. But really, the lamb and beef all throughout the country were awesome.
Tom: Parilla La Cabrera in Buenos Aires. Amazing steak, made even better by the 40% discount if you dine at the absurdly early hour of 7PM.

Best Ice Cream
Rachel: Jauja's, El Bolson. Specifically the Tiramisu or Coco flavors.
Tom: McDonald's Oreo cone.

Chill little El Bolsón

Favorite Town/City
Rachel: El Bolsón. It was so chill and we met some really friendly people. Colonia de Sacramento in Uruguay comes in at a close 2nd.
Tom: La Colonia, Uruguay. Cobblestones everywhere, beaches, and great biking.

Best Hike
Rachel: For views, the hike up to El Pitriquitrón was the best. For the full experience, I preferred the W trek in the Torres del Paine.
Tom: Fitz Roy Range, El Chalten.

Favorite Quirk
Rachel: Everything is served with dulce de leche.
Tom: Empanadas are everywhere--breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Least Favorite Quirk
Rachel: The siesta's ever-changing hours. In some places, the siesta was from 2 - 5, but in others, it was from 1 - 4, or 3 - 6... and some places didn't observe it at all! It made running errands incredibly difficult.
Tom: See Rachel's favorite quirk.

Favorite Wildlife
Rachel and Tom: Penguins, hands down. There's no kind of wildlife that can beat the little penguins we saw at Punto Tombo.

Best hostel/hotel
Rachel and Tom: La Barraca Suites in Bariloche. It was small but cozy, with great views of the national park. The owners were awesome and it was such a great value.

View from our hostel in Bariloche

Worst hostel/hotel
Rachel and Tom: We stayed one night at a very odd hostel in Puerto Natales, Chile. It smelled pretty bad there and we're not sure if the eggs at breakfast were really eggs. We left very quickly the next morning.

Next time in South America, I will...
Rachel: Stay on an estancia and spend a week riding horses with some gauchos. And improve my Spanish!
Tom: Hike the Lost City route in Colombia. And Machu Pichu in Peru.

If you could change one thing about Argentina, it would be...
Rachel: Making the roads more pedestrian friendly. Or somehow shrinking the country so as to avoid 25-hour bus rides.
Tom: I'd ban instant coffee.

If you could take something from Argentina and bring it to the U.S. it would be...
Rachel: A penguin. Amazing views. Or, the general laid-back vibe around the country.
Tom: The glacial water of Torres del Paine... nothing beats drinking from a stream without the need for iodine tablets or filters.

Hiking Torres del Paine: Day 5

Before we fell asleep on Day 4, Tom and I made a deal. He'd wake up an hour before dawn and take a look at the sky. If the sky looked clear, he'd wake me and ask if I wanted to hike an hour up to the base of the Torres to watch the sun rise over the mountains. If it looked cloudy, he'd let me sleep in.

All night, I dreamed of clouds.

Tom woke me up in the middle of the night and said to me, "I can see the stars."

My response: "[unprintable] stars."

"You don't have to come," he said.

I paused for a minute. Tom was going to hike an hour uphill over big rocks and potentially watch a spectacularly beautiful sunrise. If I didn't get up, he'd climb without me. And I'd have to hear about his experience for the rest of my life. 

Climbing a mountain in the middle of the night, looking like a miner

Hiking Torres del Paine: Day 4

Despite an uncomfortable night's sleep on the platform, we had some energy on the fourth day, which was probably due to the happy little fact that we were almost done.

This is how much energy...

Hiking Torres del Paine: Day 3

Sunset over the lake by our campsite, Refugio Cuernos

Day 3 was our longest hike, eight hours in total. Although the scenery, as exemplified above, made it well worth it, our evening meal left much for want.

Soup, instant mashed potatoes, and lentils. Mmm.

The rain had again assaulted us during the night only to stop around 6 o´clock AM, making for a wet tent, but dry packs and boots.* We kept telling ourselves that if it rained today, we'd be okay because at least we'd been dry for half of our trek. We could muscle through the last half wet. We hoped it wouldn't come to that, but at least we convinced ourselves that it wouldn't be the end of the world. Still, the cloudy skies were ominous as we packed our gear and made our way to the cooking shelter for breakfast.

Breakfast was oatmeal and cappuccinos (again). No Quik today. Our supply was running low.

As this was to be our longest hike, we started walking early. Here is a map of our Day 3 route.

Day 3 route is the purple line

Hiking Torres del Paine: Day 2

No more than an hour after waking up on Day 2, we found ourselves on a rickety wooden bridge overlooking the beautiful Glacier Grey.

If the above photo was a video you'd hear moving water, more wind than even Aeolus could conjure, and not just a few curses from Rachel.

And now let me back up a bit...

This is the trail that we hiked on Day 2. The purple line is our path. Where we finished on Day 2 is actually where we began on Day 1. [Rachel's note: Nothing is worse than hiking for 2 days only to end up exactly where you started.]

It rained through the night, but when we woke up at Refugio Grey there was a lull in the storm so we packed our things quickly to take advantage of the temporarily forgiving weather.

We lugged our gear over to the cooking shelter and fired up the propane burner to boil water for oatmeal and cappuccino packets (with the addition of Nestle Quik). We talked with two young Chileans we'd played cards with the night before, had a few sips of their mate (a very bitter tea best enjoyed in a wooden cup and through a straw), and then left our bags at camp to continue up the ravine to catch a glimpse of Glacier Gray before retreating back the way we'd come.

Hiking Torres del Paine: Pre-Trip and Day 1

This week, we're posting every day about our trek through the Torres del Paine National Park in Southern Chile. Spoiler alert: We lived through it.

The Torres del Paine National Park was a "must-see" for us. Located at the tail end of Chile, the park's scenery is legendary and the 242,242-hectare park is a hiker's paradise. One of the most popular hikes in the park is affectionately referred to as "The W" due to its shape (see the map below). As we traveled throughout Argentina, nearly every traveler we met told us the trek was amazing, terrible, gorgeous, challenging--all at the same time--and yet still definitely worth doing.

Our route the first day was described as fairly easy. We'd start at Lago Pehoe, and walk for about 4-5 hours to the first campsite, following the purple route below. Over the next four days, we'd hike sections of the orange trail.

Day 1 is in purple. The remainder of the "W" is in orange.

Now, I'm not what you'd call an awesome trekker. I like the outdoors when the weather is sunny and warm. I like the cold when I'm bundled up in front of a fireplace, watching the snow fall. My idea of physical activity is a ten-minute jog or an easy dance class. I trip a lot. I have a bum knee. But for some reason, I thought it was a good idea to tackle this 5-day trek at the end of the world in unpredictable (and often cold and wet) weather. Thankfully, we made our way down to Puerto Natales, Chile (the nearest town to the park) so quickly that I didn't even have time to freak out and change my mind until after we already purchased park tickets and rental equipment.

Santiago (A Reprise)

Although our bus troubles were a bit of a pain in the neck, I'm glad we got to spend a few more days wandering around Santiago's parks and pleasant streets, visiting cathedrals (and getting shooed from fancy buildings that we wanted to explore but didn't belong in).

In Santiago, you don't have to go far to find a park. One of my favorites was on a hillside, smack dab in the middle of the city. To get to the top, we had to climb a bunch of crumbling, narrow steps. The hike was well worth it; we were rewarded with gorgeous views of the city.

View of Santiago. See the mountains in the distance?

Tourists looking out to the city and mountains

Tom resting on a stone chaise at the top of the hill

We also spent some time strolling around the Plaza de Armas in the center of Santiago. It's huge and there are plenty of historic buildings around to explore, one of which is the Catedral Metropolitana de Santiago, which is a gorgeous old Cathedral built around 1800.

Inside the Catedral Metropolitana de Santiago

Government building outside the Plaza de Armas. 

We'll miss you, Santiago, but for now... yay Argentina!

 

The above pictures are of us at the border of Chile and Argentina, happy to be crossing over (especially after Tom misplaced some paperwork that he apparently needed), but still half-asleep from an all-night bus trip with no stops and no coffee. We still have a few more of those trips to go, but we're trying not to think about it right now.

-R

Bad Luck with Buses

So here we are, finally, at Hostel La Chimba. It is a peaceful place in an Artsy district nestled at the foot of San Cristóbal Hill. Here's a picture from the front.

Looks and sounds familiar, right?

I'm getting déjà vu as well, but let me back up a bit.

Our plan in coming to South America was to see Argentina. From the culture, vineyards, excellent chocolate, steak, varied cities, mountain towns, and hikes in Patagonia, it was the place we've been interested in from the getgo. When we originally flew into Santiago, Chile, we were excited. It was not that we necessarily wanted to see the city, but coming into Santiago was a way to save a little money and be closer to the Argentine sites that we're so raring to see--namely, Mendoza, Argentina and its multitude of vineyards. Although Chile charges a $160 entrance fee for citizens of the United States, the ticket was $600 cheaper than flying into Buenos Aires. And Argentina (as of the time of our research) did not charge the $160 fee to enter the country if by bus--that was a charge reserved for those entering the country by plane.

Not only that, but a bus trip from Buenos Aires to Mendoza would have taken 22 hours. Here is a map.

After Mendoza, we planned to make our way South, starting with San Carlos de Bariloche, a beautiful lake town in the mountains, from what we've read and heard.

That trip is about 15 hours, pictured here.

... but 22 hours to Mendoza to kick off the trip is a long time on a bus. We planned on ending our trip in Buenos Aires after travelling South the Patagonia, as it will be cooler in March or April, and it is the country's hub for international flights.

So we looked around some more. And found Santiago.

Santiago: The Pros

- Only six hours from Mendoza

- Cooler climate than Buenos Aires at this time of year

- Modern city, close to beaches

Santiago: The Cons

- ...

Since I'm getting really good at drawing lines on pictures, I'll show you another map, this one of the six hour trip from Santiago to Mendoza.

Buenos Aires could wait! We were going to Santiago.

As you know, we arrived and stayed for a few days and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Met some nice people, saw some nice sights, ate good food, and then we were ready to leave. We wanted to see wine country, rent bicycles and peddle from mountain town to mountain town, so we made our way over to the bus station this past Saturday. We were told that buses out of Santiago and into Argentina were easy to come by, so we didn't worry.

Unfortunately, our plans didn't work out. There was massive flooding in the mountains that rendered impassable the only road across the Andes in the vicinity of Santiago.

But that was okay. We were told that the road would be cleared by Tuesday and that we could take the same bus to Mendoza from Valparaíso on Tuesday. Oh, and by the way, new Argentine regulations as of January 6th, 2013 mandated that we pay an entrance fee of $160 if entering by bus. Although a slight inconvenience, this was okay. We shrugged it off. We now had a great excuse to visit the coastal cities, so we jumped on the opportunity.

We had a blast. Hostal Jacaranda, situated on the top of a hill, accessible by three funiculars or a strong pair of legs, was perfect. It was like staying in a friend's house, partly because it was a house. Everyone congregated in the kitchen, living room, and outdoor patio at meal times, and we met folks from all over to walk about the hilly city with us.

Here are some pictures of Rachel and I at the beach.

But I'm getting a little off track. The title of this post refers to our trouble with the bus system.

We went to double-check with the bus company on Sunday about our reserved bus ticket to Mendoza. We were told that the road was still impassable, and that our bus trip for Tuesday would probably be cancelled. Friday or Saturday was looking more likely.

We did some thinking. We liked Chile, we liked Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, but we were antsy to see Argentina. The peak months to hike in Patagonia are January and February, and our time was slowly ticking away. We asked about Bariloche, in the South of Argentina, and yes, the bus company did have a ticket to Bariloche on Tuesday night at 10 o'clock PM. We'd cross the Andes much further South and have to skip Mendoza for now. It could wait.

Just one more map, I promise. This is more to show my Mom where we are and where we are going. Right, Mom?

To make this long story a bit shorter, we arrived at the bus station on Tuesday (yesterday) and our bus had departed at 8 o'clock PM, not 10 o'clock PM as we'd been told.*

Was there another bus to Mendoza on Tuesday?

No.

Wednesday?

No.

Thursday, Friday?

No to Thursday, but Friday... yes. Yes, there was a bus on Friday night.

By this time, it was 9 o'clock at night and we had no place to stay in Valparaíso. Hostal Jacaranda was already full. Mentally, we'd had enough of Valparaíso, mainly because we thought we'd have been on the road to Argentina by then. As Santiago is a larger hub for travel, we decided to bus back there and figure it out.

(No map necessary.)

We arrived in Santiago last night (this morning?) at midnight. We stood in line at the ticket office for thirty minutes. No, there were no buses to Mendoza until Friday, and also, there was no such place as Bariloche. The ticket officer waved us away to another office which ended up being closed. It was midnight, after all. So we lugged our bags back again, stood in the ticket line for another thirty minutes, asked a different teller for a ticket to Bariloche, and were again told that the bus company does not go there.

That's when I looked at the man's computer screen and saw what he had typed: Varilocha. I suppose my Spanish enunciation and accent aren't that good.

Tired, hungry, fed-up, we booked our ticket. We are going to Bariloche on Friday night, but for now, we're off to explore Santiago again!

So here we are, finally, at Hostel La Chimba...

... but hopefully only until Friday.

Cheers,
Tom

* I'll grudgingly admit that the fault probably lies with my inability to comprehend military time in Spanish, despite my years with the Navy, but I consider this only a footnote-able mention.

What a difference 4 miles makes.

You know when you're on a long road trip, and the scenery slowly changes? Maybe the dusting of snow turns into feet within a few hours, or skyscrapers turn into smaller apartment buildings which turn into sprawling houses? It's usually a pretty gradual process, and it's hard to recognize it's happening.

A hotel on the beach

During the 4-mile bus trip from Valparaíso to Viña del Mar, the view changes entirely. Instead of Valparaíso's colorful small homes dotting the hillside, Viña del Mar's beach is lined with 20-story resorts lining the beach. Viña del Mar has lots of manicured parks and condo buildings with fountains in the front. There are horse-drawn carriages. Instead of climbing mountain-tops, tourists flock to Viña del Mar for long walks on the packed-full beach. It's pretty much a quintessential resort town.

Horse and carriage rides

After a day of sitting around the beach and walking around a massive mall (in a quest to find the impossible: decent coffee), we returned to Valparaíso, amazed at how just a few miles could so completely change the look, feel and economy of a city. 

One of Valparaíso's many funiculars

For folks considering a budget trip to this part of Chile, I'd recommend doing something similar to what we did. Stay in a hostel in the hills of Valparaíso and take the funiculars up and down the mountain. Marvel at the views. Find a quaint little restaurant in the middle of nowhere. (And ask locals for recommendations of what areas to avoid. Some parts of Valparaíso aren't the greatest.) Then when you've had enough of Valparaíso's gritty charm, take the bus to Viña del Mar to sit on the beach, eat some gelato, and really feel like you're on vacation. Repeat as necessary.

-R

Valparaíso

Shortly after Tom wrote the last post, we learned that the pass between Santiago, Chile and Mendoza, Argentina had been temporarily wiped out due to tons of rain. All bus transportation has been stopped until Monday at the earliest.

Instead of booking an expensive plane ticket (or skipping Mendoza altogether), we decided to spend a few days on the coast of Chile, in a small city called Valparaíso.

It's a really neat city with colorful homes on the hillside. It reminds me of the Amalfi Coast in Italy (though I haven't been there-- yet!)

Valparaiso at night

The city overlooks the Pacific Ocean. I have high hopes to dip my toe into it tomorrow while we're hanging out the beaches of Viña del Mar. 

View of the ocean from Valparaiso. 

Tom and I spent most of last night and today wandering around the hillside, climbing the meandering streets-- all of which go uphill. It's very easy to get lost in this city, but once you've been lost a few times, it's generally easier to find your way around.

Street art and raised sidewalks

Hills galore

Hilly streets in Valparaiso

The city is definitely a bit gritty, with lots of graffiti, squawking seagulls, and dogs running amuck. But despite the grit, it's a neat little city where you can walk up (always up) a cobblestone road, pause for a minute to catch your breath, and then turn around and catch a phenomenal view of the whole city. 

Street performances at sunset

The Valparaiso Harbor

Rachel and Tom in Valparaiso

We'll be hanging here and at the beach for a few more days before we make our way into Argentina. Look out for more pictures to come!

-R

First Days in Chile

We made it! And what a long trip. It went a little like this:

1) Three hours to Mexico City;
2) Eight hour layover on the floor of the Mexico City airport (I had my sleeping bag and the floors were immaculate);
3) Eight hours to Santiago; and
4) Four hours to our hostel from the airport.

In truth, No. 4 shouldn't have taken four hours, but tired as we were, we got a little lost. So lost, in fact, that we hopped on a bus to the neighboring village of Maipu. We should have realized this earlier, but again, tired.

This is approximately what our trip to the hostel looked like (our route in black; no need to depict the preferred route):

So here we are, finally, at Hostel La Chimba. It is a peaceful place in an Artsy district nestled at the foot of San Cristóbal Hill. The area is cobble-stoned with tree-lined streets, outdoor restaurants, and plenty of heladerías to take our minds off of the heat. The hostel is enormous, with three separate buildings surrounded by large walls. It has two courtyards and a stairway to the roof where you can look out across the tin tops of the local houses. Here's a picture from the front.

I write this as we relax on a couch in the courtyard after lunch. This morning after a breakfast Rachel and I hiked a good four hours up San Cristóbal Hill. At the top, there is an enormous outdoor church and a statue of the Virgin Mary. We stopped, relaxed for a time, and then proceeded down the other side of the Hill into another district of the city. There was a dirt path and the view of the city and the Andes was beautiful.

The sun was up in our faces, but in the background you can see the outdoor church.

...And after four hours of walking we went back to our hostel for a lunch of empanadas, some sort of beans with pumpkin, and meat.

It is Friday and we hope to find some live music tonight. We won't be in Santiago long since we'd like to make it to Patagonia before the weather gets too cold. So we'll be off to Mendoza in the next few days.

Cheers for now,

Tom