Home Safely

Well, it took us nearly 24 hrs, but we finally made it. Funny how over 5 months of travel we had hardly any issues, yet on the last day all hell breaks loose. We got from Bogota to Atlanta alright and had a nice 3 hr layover there, but the weather turned bad just after we got in and we ended up being stuck on the plane waiting for de-icing for over 3 hours before taking off. Then after finally getting to SFO 4 hrs late, on the car ride home we had some engine troubles and had to get towed =(

Oh well though, that’s traveling. Home now. It’s late. Goodnight.

Bogota

Well, it´s hard to believe the time has already arrived, but we are at the last stop on the trip. After leaving Ushuaia and the end of the world we headed straight back to Buenos Aires and spent a few days there just relaxing and taking in the few things we missed on the first pass. A trip to “La Bombonera” (the Boca Juniors football stadium), some more tango, and of course lots more “parrilla”. It ended up being a nice way to say goodbye to one of our favorite places in South America before we flew up to Bogota.

Before arriving in Bogota we weren´t exactly sure what to think. Sadly, there is so much negative press about Colombia and it´s security that we were still a little weary, yet on the other hand we had heard nothing but rave reviews from other travellers. Over the past four days we´ve had a good chance to see Bogota and it has easily been one of our favorite places. The city is beautifully situated up in the mountains, it´s modern and lively while still retaining some beautiful colonial style neighborhoods, and the people are wonderful. We´ve also been pleasantly surprised that the security seems a non-issue and we´ve felt very safe walking around, even at night. So here´s the last few pics of the trip, from Bogota …

From here the only thing left is to fly home =(

The Best of Argentina and Chile

Round 3 …

Buenos Aires:

• Tango in the Park – Tango is all over Buenos Aires so you won´t miss it, but there are many options for soaking up the excitement. You can see street performers in the park, go to a cena show, or watch an intimate dance at a cafe. We did them all and liked them all, but we really enjoyed the atmosphere of watching it in the park. Head to San Telmo on Sundays to catch a show.
• The Beef – It`s mouthwatering (even for non-beef eaters) and parrillas are everywhere. Our favorite cut was asado de tira and our favorite parilla was DesNivel in San Telmo (a packed locals spot that is dirt cheap and has excellent traditional food).
• San Telmo Antique Fair – Only on Sunday, but worth the wait. It`s a lively street scene that has more to do with socializing and watching the street performers than antiques. Try to catch a tango show as well.
• Futbol – Don`t miss it. It`s a blast. We heard the Boca Jrs. games are classic fun, but we went to River stadium for a national game against Bolivia. Pick up a jersey beforehand if you want to blend with the crowd and best to go with a tour agency to avoid lots of confusion and crowds.
• Olsen – For a trendy night on the town, this Palermo eatery was a little taste of NYC in BA (but at better prices!). The best part was sampling the delicious drinks. Sitting at the bar also allows you test out your Spanish skills on the bartenders…
• Shopping – You won´t be able to get enough of it. The porteños are definitely trendy and the clothes are good value so try to come with some spending cash. We liked Santa Fe street, Palermo, and Florida streets the best.

Mendoza:

• Wine tasting in Lujan de Cuyo – Most people do bike tours in Maipu, but if you`re into wine and you want to do it right, rent a car, make reservations at wineries (during the week), and do it yourself. First, go for a tasting at Vines of Mendoza and get information about the best wines and wineries. We liked the tours at Septima and Carlos Pulenta the best. (Skip the La Rural museum unless you don`t know the first thing about wine.)
• Tablao for a Lomito Completo – Did you see that picture of the lomito sandwich we posted a while back? This is where it´s from. If you don´t make it to Mendoza, get one somewhere else because they are oh so good.
• Hostel Independencia – We liked this big hostel with a central location. The breakfast was generous and the weekly bbq was also good fun and food.

Other stuff in Argentina:

• Iguazu Falls – Don`t mean to diminish this one by putting it in the “other stuff” category because it was one of our favorite sites on the trip. Give yourself 2 days to see the whole thing. Start with the Brazilian side for an overview of the falls and then go to the Argentinian side to get up close. Both sides have unique views, so its worth it for the cheap park tickets… and somehow the falls never get boring because they are just so big!
• Andesmar – Our favorite bus company in Argentina, with a good website.
• Lomo Sandwiches – A little slice of heaven stuffed between 2 pieces of bread. We actually blogged about this one earlier.

Central Chile:

• La Casa Roja – We loved this hostel in Santiago. It was big, had a beautiful kitchen, tv room, and numerous lounge areas, not to mention sparkling bathrooms and a pool with a swim-up bar!
• Valparaiso – Worth the detour from Santiago, this small coastal town is colorful and quaint and boasts some pretty cool history and really good seafood. Pick up a copy of Isabel Allende´s Daughter of Fortune before you go.
• Los Porteños – Really good local seafood spot. Famous for thier seafood soups and chowders.
• Le Filou de Montpelier – A tiny simple place between Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepcion, this french restaurant serves only a set daily menu. It was one of the best meals we had and at a pretty good price.
• The bus ride from Mendoza to Santiago – Do this one during the day because the views as you pass through the Andes are spectacular.

Other stuff in Chile:

• Empanadas- Sometimes more like a calzone, but usually always a really good option for a cheap meal.
• Kalabaza – Really good cafe in Puerto Montt. Take advantage of the set menu for a deal.

Patagonia:

• Torres del Paine National Park (Chile) – The highlight of Patagonia, this park boasts some of the most dramatic scenery in the world. 3-5 days (or more) is ideal here if you want time to explore and enjoy. The W features the parks most famous spots and while all the sections of it are amazingly cool, we especially loved the French Valley for its 360 degree views and interesting trail. Be prepared for extreme weather – the sun can be just as deadly as the wind.
• Erratic Rock Hostel – Probably our favorite hostel on the trip, this is place is small and cozy and a good hub for before and after trips to the park. Daily baked goods and info talk are pluses too.
• El Calafate and Perito Moreno Glaciar (Argentina) – More touristy than Puerto Natales, but the place to go for outdoor gear shopping and trips to glaciars. Perito Moreno is the most dynamic and worth staring at for a while.
• Ushuaia (Argentina) – The city at the end of the world. It´s a pretty cool town with dramatic scenery and the view from Glaciar Martial is worth the trip.
• Bodegon Fueguino – Great local restaurant in Ushuaia that features small plates and specializes in lamb.

General tips…

• We forgot this one in past summaries, but wanted to send a notice to future SA travellers that most places down here take their weekends seriously. Everything is usually closed on Sundays and in many places closed early on Saturday as well. That goes for restaurants, stores, wineries, museums, churches, sometimes tours, etc. Try to avoid making your only day to visit a town Sunday (if you plan on visiting any sights) and be sure to check hours before heading anywhere on the weekends because it will likely be closed. (Internet cafes are usually an exception, even on Christmas!)
• To add to the inconvenience, the Argentine schedule is classic craziness. They take their siestas seriously, often shutting down between 1-4 everyday and they love their nightlife. The prime dinner rush is at 10:30, meaning many restaurants are still not open by 7pm. Clubbing starts between 1-2am, so bring some sleeping pills because you will definitely need to adjust your internal clock here! (Some exceptions in tourist locations during high season, but just be prepared).
• Reservations in high season a must. Although you can usually always find a place to stay, the best places will be booked. Book buses and flights at least a little bit in advance if you want to stick to your schedule.
• Prices for flights vary a lot here unlike the states. If you don´t like a price, just keep checking because it may change daily or hourly.
• Ahh the buses. Heaven after Bolivia. These things are equiped and the cama class is really quite comfortable. For the long journeys, definitely enjoy the luxury.

So that´s the spiel on Argentina and Chile. Hope that helps. As always, drop us a line if you have more questions…

Antarctica, The 7th Continent

Well, here we are, the true end of the world (well at least one of them). Sadly, I don’t know what I could say about Antarctica without feeling totally inadequate. My impression of Antarctica is almost like that of a waking dream; you realize that something profound has happened but you’re not quite capable of truly comprehending it. There is no place like it on earth, and while you can technically say that about many places it’s never seemed quite as true as it does now. The pictures will tell it best, but suffice to say that it’s a magical place.

So we started in Ushuaia and set out our first evening to head across the Drake Passage for Deception Island and Cuverville Island. Deception Island didn’t offer much of a view due to heavy cloud cover, but in Cuverville we got our first chance to get out in the zodiacs and get a closer look. This time it was only a zodiac cruise, so we’d have to wait one more day before actually laying foot on the continent.

The next day it was on to Port Lockroy where we would finally have a chance to get on land and wander around a penguin rookery and see some Antarctic wildlife up close, not to mention some pretty cool looking whale skeletons. The weather was still a bit dicey, snowing off and on, but we were obviously so excited to get close to some penguins it didn’t really matter.

Port Lockroy would also be where we kept anchor over New Year’s Eve and celebrated Antarctica style. In a bizarre and very nice twist of fate at about 9 in the evening on the 31st we got our first clearings of the weather and we ended up having an absolutely gorgeous New Years. And of course, aside from being in Antarctica for New Years we also had the unique experience of ringing in the new year in daylight, the only place in the world where that is possible.

On New Years Day it was up nice and early for some more penguin action, this time in nearby Paradise Harbor. Sadly we had reverted to our snowy weather, but oh well. One of the best parts of the Paradise Harbor excursion was the fact that we had to navigate a very dense field of icebergs to get to the actual landing, so we snapped off some fun shots of icebergs along the way.

The following day was set to be our last day in Antarctica with an excursion to Half Moon Island, but sadly the weather was too bad for us to use the zodiacs so we couldn’t get off =( We passed right by Half Moon Island and into the Drake Passage steaming our way back towards Ushuaia. After a long and rocky day and a half across the Drake Passage we hit the final spot on the tour, Cape Horn.

Not the most scenic place in the world, but maybe if you could look at the ocean floor you’d see something more interesting considering the number of shipwreks around that little piece of land.

So after a few more days in Ushuaia we went back to Buenos Aires where we are currently relaxing for a few days before we head for the final stop on the trip, Bogota, and then it’s back home. sigh.

Fin Del Mundo: The End of the World

So we made it to Antarctica and back, but before we spill the juice on the 7th continent, we couldn`t leave out the so-called city at the end of the world, Ushuaia. Our first day here, we just spent shopping and preparing for our cruise, but now that we´re back we´ve had time to explore.

Set in a harbor surrounded by mountains, Ushuaia has it all – penguin colonies, trekking, cruising (even around Cape Horn), glaciars, museums, and shopping (all the ¨end of the world¨ paraphernalia you could want) – and it´s quite picturesque. While we couldn`t do it all, we got a good flavor starting with the former prison at the end of the world turned maritime museum. A pretty cool tourist attraction in town, this place has some interesting history about the many voyages and shipwrecks around Cape Horn and expeditions to Antarctica as well as prison life in one of the most remote former jails.

Next, on to the national park Tierra del Fuego, which is famous for its landscapes and being the end of Route 3, the road (once again) to the end of the world. We did some short hikes in the park and overlooked Lapataia Lake, which borders Argentina and Chile.

Finally, for a view of the city from above, we hiked up to Glaciar Martial on our last day. From here you can see Ushuaia and the beagle channel below which heads out toward the ocean and Cape Horn.

And what city at the end of the world would be complete without a post giving you the distances to the other major cities in the world?? It doesn´t get much further than Tokyo from here, although NY is still a lofty 10.6K kilometers…

We´re heading back to Buenos Aires now, but more to come on real end of the world soon…